: a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music
also
: a film of this type
Examples of film noir in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film noir tackles the corruptive tendencies of power, with Broderick Crawford as a populist politician who rises up as a Southern governor and wields dangerous influence.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Polgar keeps the action steady and creates some film noir tableaux on the shadowy set.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Structured in five chapters, the film spans silent-era expressionism, film noir and a vampire love story shot in one of Gan’s signature long takes.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
The aesthetic is inspired by Japanese film noir, and the wildly creative drinks are dreamed up by Irish-Italian bartender Patrick Pistolesi, who has been a fixture on the city’s nightlife scene for decades.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Polgar keeps the action steady and creates some film noir tableaux on the shadowy set.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
Structured in five chapters, the film spans silent-era expressionism, film noir and a vampire love story shot in one of Gan’s signature long takes.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
The aesthetic is inspired by Japanese film noir, and the wildly creative drinks are dreamed up by Irish-Italian bartender Patrick Pistolesi, who has been a fixture on the city’s nightlife scene for decades.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for film noir
Cite this Entry
“Film noir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/film%20noir. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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