curtain call

noun

: an appearance by a performer (as after the final curtain of a play) in response to the applause of the audience

Examples of curtain call in a Sentence

The singer came back for one more curtain call.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And an unnecessary coda that comes after the curtain call never should have made it out of rehearsals. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 Much has been said about Stephen Colbert‘s May 21 curtain call on The Late Show. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026 Rather, curtain calls are the time for the audience to express its reaction to the performance. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 After Ellis was named the first star of the game, his teammates dragged him back onto the ice for a curtain call as the home crowd went wild. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for curtain call

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curtain call was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curtain call.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtain%20call. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

curtain call

noun
: an appearance by a performer (as after the final curtain of a play) in response to the applause of the audience
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster