Illustration of crescendo
- mark indicating crescendo 2
cre·scen·do
krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō 
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi
krə-ˈshen-dē
1
a
: a gradual increase
a crescendo of excitement
specifically
: a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage
b
: the peak of a gradual increase : climax
… complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo …—
DownBeat
DownBeat2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo
intransitive verb
crescendo
2 of 2adverb or adjective
: with an increase in volume
—used as a direction in music
Examples of crescendo in a Sentence
Noun
The noise rose to a crescendo.
excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
Not as giddy While semis have gone vertical, the headline indexes have not gone nearly as far or as fast as in the '99 crescendo.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 May 2026
John Harbaugh looked up as the noise built to a crescendo on Saturday.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
As the quartet builds toward a post-rock crescendo and a wistful, snowcapped outro that’s lightly accompanied by the sound of children on a playground, Kinsella and his bandmates spin the narrative in a kaleidoscopic language all their own.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
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Noun
The Great Plains and the Corn Belt are at greatest risk, with storms set to reach a crescendo on Monday.
—Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
Not as giddy While semis have gone vertical, the headline indexes have not gone nearly as far or as fast as in the '99 crescendo.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 12 May 2026
John Harbaugh looked up as the noise built to a crescendo on Saturday.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
As the quartet builds toward a post-rock crescendo and a wistful, snowcapped outro that’s lightly accompanied by the sound of children on a playground, Kinsella and his bandmates spin the narrative in a kaleidoscopic language all their own.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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