polyrhythm
noun
poly·rhythm
ˈpä-lē-ˌri-t͟həm 
: the simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in music
Examples of polyrhythm in a Sentence
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Across the various polyrhythms, Moran modeled how jazz can make more than one thing happen at the same time, and do so harmoniously.
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Elizabeth Alexander, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
Peart quickly became known as one of the fastest and most technically proficient drummers in rock, commanding a huge battery of cymbals and tom-toms and injecting Rush’s music with complex polyrhythms and tempo changes.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2025
Reyna, backed by a few producers, leads a humid romp through the dance cultures of the Latin diaspora, melding bouncy polyrhythms, syrupy melodies, and field recordings of birds and moving water.
—Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024
Seldom settling for straightforward linearity or conventional structure, the group arranged sophisticated polyrhythms into the aural equivalent of jigsaw puzzles, and juggled scales and time signatures with profound dexterity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024
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Elizabeth Alexander, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
Peart quickly became known as one of the fastest and most technically proficient drummers in rock, commanding a huge battery of cymbals and tom-toms and injecting Rush’s music with complex polyrhythms and tempo changes.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2025
Reyna, backed by a few producers, leads a humid romp through the dance cultures of the Latin diaspora, melding bouncy polyrhythms, syrupy melodies, and field recordings of birds and moving water.
—Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024
Seldom settling for straightforward linearity or conventional structure, the group arranged sophisticated polyrhythms into the aural equivalent of jigsaw puzzles, and juggled scales and time signatures with profound dexterity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for polyrhythm
Cite this Entry
“Polyrhythm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polyrhythm. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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