harp on
phrasal verb
harped on; harping on; harps on
US, informal
: to talk about (a subject) constantly or repeatedly in an annoying way
She's always harping on the importance of a good diet.
He seems to enjoy harping on my shortcomings.
Examples of harp on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For as simple as that might sound, Busch remembers how his former coach at the University of North Carolina, Mike Fox, continuously harped on the importance of routine.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Those qualms are valid, but harping on them misses the point.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Much of that success was due to Whitmer’s harping on having a poker face and a next-play mentality.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
So much success, and yet commentators harped on his size and his bruising, physical style of play.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harp on
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.
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Those qualms are valid, but harping on them misses the point.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Much of that success was due to Whitmer’s harping on having a poker face and a next-play mentality.
—Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
So much success, and yet commentators harped on his size and his bruising, physical style of play.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harp on
Cite this Entry
“Harp on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harp%20on. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
