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As a verb used when things are blending or being blended together, meld dates only to the first half of the 20th century. In its early days, the word attracted some unfavorable attention. Those who didn't like it tended to perceive it as a misuse of an older meld meaning "to declare or announce (a card or cards) for a score in a card game" (such as pinochle or gin rummy). But the more recent meld, a blend of melt and weld, was an entirely new coinage suggesting a smooth and thorough blending of two or more things into a single, homogeneous whole. The word is no longer controversial.
Synonyms
Examples of meld in a Sentence
Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023
The base is made with navy beans, which don't have a lot of flavor on their own, but meld with the eggs, sugar, and warm spices to form a confection so delicious, no one will believe it was made with beans.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2023
Tart McIntosh apples meld with sweet Bosc pears in this all-purpose condiment.
—Matt Brooks, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
While many of the best escape rooms have elaborate sets and an underlying plot to get the events into motion, melding story with game-like quests remains a challenge.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Would Nexstar move to meld the two and supercharge its cable news operation with the more robust resources of ABC News?
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 14 Sep. 2023
Her rococo cakes meld orderly, ornate piping with ebulliently messy bunches of exotic fruits and colorful foliage.
—Martha Cheng Sharon Radisch, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2023
But the birds are references to the proverbial canary in the coal mine, a harbinger of danger, and the clouds meld formations the artist saw over New Mexico with the ominous one her father glimpsed above Nagasaki in August 1945.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023
Finish baking: Then, bake it until the two distinct layers have melded into one sheet of decadent pecan pie brownies.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2023
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 31 July 2023
Kaan kaan wu, with its motley of melds, is where these two tiles from different suits can be used in a clean-sweeping hand.
—Rudy Lee, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
The buttery flakes from the croissant meld with the cheddar cheese, dissolving to reveal equally tender beef.
—Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu, Bon Appétit, 16 June 2023
This fragrance queues in on vanilla, saffron, almond, and suede leather meld in the air.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2021
Together, they’re meant to prompt audience reflection and interaction, to turn the museum into a social space, a meld of public forum, classroom and therapy session.
—New York Times, 3 June 2021
Viewers who speak multiple languages may be familiar with the meld; a similar cultural phenomenon exists with the concept of Spanglish, for instance.
—Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2022
In some ways, the struggle is more complicated, as long-term physical consequences of what her body endured on 9/11 meld with the effects of aging or other health issues.
—Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2021
What is a meld in Mahjong?
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meld.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Verb (1)
German melden to announce, from Old High German meldōn; akin to Old English meldian to announce, Lithuanian malda prayer
Noun (1)
derivative of meld entry 1
Verb (2)
blend of melt and weld
Noun (2)
derivative of meld entry 3
Verb (1)
1887, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (1)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1919, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1954, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near meld
Cite this Entry
“Meld.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meld. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
meld
1 of 2 verbmeld
2 of 2 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on meld
Nglish: Translation of meld for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of meld for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meld
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