: a vocal style of rock and roll characterized by the a cappella singing of nonsense syllables in rhythmical support of the melody
Examples of doo-wop in a Sentence
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Born June 8, 1942 as Charles Negron II to a Puerto Rican nightclub performer, he was raised in the Bronx, New York and spent his childhood playing basketball and singing in doo-wop groups.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The doo-wop legend Dion recorded the definitive version, but it was covered by artists from Marvin Gaye to Whitney Houston.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Then my shoulders kicked in as the back-up singers handled the doo-wop of misery.
—New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025
Rae’s vocal delivery of her love of the city is repetitively mantric, until the song splits apart into its final 30 seconds of doo-wop meets drum and bass.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Takemura Sears, who shares the role of King Idomeneo with Roland Hawkins, delivered an astonishing performance in the Twin Cities opener, mastering both Mozart’s demanding passages and the doo-wop repertoire.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
The group had broken through near the tail-end of doo-wop’s peak.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 19 Aug. 2024
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Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2026
The doo-wop legend Dion recorded the definitive version, but it was covered by artists from Marvin Gaye to Whitney Houston.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Then my shoulders kicked in as the back-up singers handled the doo-wop of misery.
—New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2025
Rae’s vocal delivery of her love of the city is repetitively mantric, until the song splits apart into its final 30 seconds of doo-wop meets drum and bass.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Takemura Sears, who shares the role of King Idomeneo with Roland Hawkins, delivered an astonishing performance in the Twin Cities opener, mastering both Mozart’s demanding passages and the doo-wop repertoire.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
The group had broken through near the tail-end of doo-wop’s peak.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 19 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Doo-wop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doo-wop. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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