enjambment
noun
en·jamb·ment
in-ˈjam-mənt 
variants
or less commonly enjambement
: the running over of a sentence from one verse or couplet into another so that closely related words fall in different lines compare run-on
Examples of enjambment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ganger is full of enjambment and ellipses, ideas competing with one another or allowed to drift into the ether, each of them odder and more specific than the last.
—
Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Speakers stop abruptly and pop up in the next paragraph; snappy asides and transitions appear as enjambments — pushing the pace forward like the ding of a typewriter carriage.
—J. Howard Rosier, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2023
Each enjambment creates a lively imbalance, nudging us into the next line.
—Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2022
Her book works because her blank verse, with its seemingly unstudied enjambments, is supple yet pared down.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017
Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Speakers stop abruptly and pop up in the next paragraph; snappy asides and transitions appear as enjambments — pushing the pace forward like the ding of a typewriter carriage.
—J. Howard Rosier, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2023
Each enjambment creates a lively imbalance, nudging us into the next line.
—Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2022
Her book works because her blank verse, with its seemingly unstudied enjambments, is supple yet pared down.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enjambment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enjambment
Cite this Entry
“Enjambment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enjambment. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share