presto

pres·to | \ ˈpre-(ˌ)stō

How to pronounce presto (audio)

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Definition of presto

(Entry 1 of 3)

—used to indicate the sudden appearance or occurrence of something often as if by magic

presto

adverb or adjective

Definition of presto (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : suddenly as if by magic : immediately

2 : at a rapid tempo —used as a direction in music

presto

plural prestos

Definition of presto (Entry 3 of 3)

: a presto musical passage or movement

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Examples of presto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb or adjective Simply flash a smile at a little camera and—presto—you're in. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "Why I Opt Out of Facial Recognition," 4 Dec. 2019 Step 4: Return to the room that is, presto change-o, now a hall sufficiently decked with all of the festive Christmas decor. — Ashley Hoffman, Time, "The Internet Is Getting in the Holiday Spirit Thanks to These Addictive 'Christmas Explosion' Videos," 21 Nov. 2019 Two patties are way too much for me, but a server recently revealed a valuable secret: Order a cheeseburger with lettuce and special sauce, and — presto! — a single version of the hour-wait-worthy burger. — Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, "In 2019, the burgers in these cities are better than ever," 24 Oct. 2019 To the uninitiated, this process may appear a bit like magic—a wave of the hands, a tap of a touch screen and, presto, a rabbit is pulled from a quantum hat. — Neil Savage, Scientific American, "Hands-On with Google’s Quantum Computer," 24 Oct. 2019 Someone gets infected, someone gets bitten and presto! — Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, "North Olmsted’s Tony Gardner gives life to the living dead in ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ with makeup and effects," 17 Oct. 2019 Just pop a K-Cup in, add some water, press the button and presto, coffee! — Alicia Kortendick, oregonlive, "Here are the best coffee makers in honor of National Coffee Day (Sept. 29)," 25 Sep. 2019 Just pop a K-Cup in, add some water, press the button and presto, coffee! — Alicia Kortendick, al, "Here are the best coffee makers in honor of National Coffee Day," 25 Sep. 2019 Show him brotherly love, fatherly discipline, bring him in to the fold, bathe him in your team’s magically-spectacular camaraderie, and presto. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Is Antonio Brown’s helmet half-full or half-empty?," 18 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Courtly grace rubbed elbows with earthy peasant humor, and the concluding presto was alive with the ebullience Haydn dished out like no other composer. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Guest conductor Juraj Valcuha holds CSO in firm command," 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'presto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Presto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presto. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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