earworm
noun
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Definition of earworm
Examples of earworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It was announced today that Missy Elliott, the trailblazing female hip-hop artist known for her earworm-y raps, will be the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Missy Elliott Makes History as the First Female Rapper in the Songwriters Hall of Fame," 12 Jan. 2019 The commercials ran for years and made the tune, as sung by Mrs. VerPlanck, an American earworm. — Emily Langer, Washington Post, "Marlene VerPlanck, commercial ‘jingle queen’ and singer of Great American Songbook, dies at 84," 19 Jan. 2018 Her latest songwriting collaborators — including Max Martin and Shellback — have proven track records for commercial success and creating earworm-worthy pop anthems, but not for innovation or risk-taking. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pink, 17 years into her solo career, bringing her 'Beautiful Trauma' and soaring show to San Diego," 22 May 2018 His lyricism and catchy hooks not only gave a movie its distinct signature but also could turn a film-going memory into an earworm. — Tim Greiving, latimes.com, "How much gold can lie in 45 Oscar losses? In the case of John Williams, the answer is: Tons," 2 Mar. 2018 His 94 years of life were packed with a Forrest Gump-esque career that brought him in contact with several historical icons and eventually launched him into writing educational earworms for ABC in between experimental jazz records. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Bob Dorough of 'Schoolhouse Rock!' fame dead at 94," 24 Apr. 2018 With close to half of the tour wrapped up, Faiyaz plans to lock back in the studio and unleash more earworms for his eager devotees. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, "Brent Faiyaz on the Success of 'Sonder Son,' His Love for Lauryn Hill & Why He Plans to Stay Independent 'Forever'," 9 Feb. 2018 Prior to Bieber’s involvement, the incontrovertible earworm would likely have seen little traction among most listeners in the States. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "2017 in Pop: Revenge of the Strummer Boy," 13 Dec. 2017 Syngenta invested over $100 million and 15 years in developing Viptera, which has a trait called MIR162 that protects against pests such as earworms, cutworms, armyworms and corn borers. — Jim Suhr, The Seattle Times, "1st farmer lawsuit on deck against Syngenta over China trade," 4 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'earworm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Wriggly History of 'Earworm'
The Wriggly History of 'Earworm'
I just can't get you out of my head
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The first known use of earworm was in 1802
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