segue

imperative verb se·gue \ ˈse-(ˌ)gwā , ˈsā- \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of segue

1 : proceed to what follows without pause —used as a direction in music

2 : perform the music that follows like that which has preceded —used as a direction in music

Recent Examples of segue from the Web

Future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who collected 3,089 hits, including 10 consecutive seasons with 200 or more (2001-2010) with the Seattle Mariners, quietly segued from player to the front office.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: Thursday had an all-around legendary vibe to it | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 3 May 2018
His work on diabetes treatments segued into cancer research.

— andrea chang, latimes.com, "Patrick Soon-Shiong — immigrant, doctor, billionaire, and soon, newspaper owner — starts a new era at the L.A. Times," 13 Apr. 2018
Whether the weather cooperates or stays stubbornly cold, Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.) is always warm and welcoming, perfect for segueing into spring (if only in your mind!).

— adam lukach, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do this weekend in Chicago," 12 Apr. 2018
This interest segued into a new, or rather old, passion: governance, the question of how power is wielded, the one that had come to him in his Normandy bedroom and in battles with his father—and indeed anyone in authority.

— vicky ward, Town & Country, "Why Nicolas Berggruen is Creating an Institute for Geniuses," 11 May 2016
Cosby, whose stand-up comedy soothed racial tensions, segued to an acting career as the first black drama lead, playing half of an interracial duo of secret agents in NBC's I Spy.

— gary levin, USA TODAY, "Bill Cosby's legacy: From America's dad to 'America's rapist'," 26 Apr. 2018
This segues into Manayunk Restaurant Week, April 16-27.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Three dozen more restaurants!," 11 Apr. 2018
But if nothing else, the NHL postseason on NBC Sports and cable outlets such as NBCSN offers a chance to check in on Chicago’s Eddie Olczyk, who has started in a studio role but is supposed to segue back to doing games.

— phil rosenthal, chicagotribune.com, "Eddie Olczyk on NHL playoff results: 'Whatever would come up, I wouldn’t be surprised'," 12 Apr. 2018
Some addiction experts are intrigued by the idea of buprenorphine as overdose reversal agent, as the drug could easily be used to segue drug users into long-term treatment.

— max blau, STAT, "The next naloxone? Companies, academics search for better overdose-reversal drugs," 10 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of segue

Italian, there follows, from seguire to follow, from Latin sequi — more at sue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1740

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff

segue

verb se·gue \ ˈse-(ˌ)gwā , ˈsā- \

Definition of segue

segued; segueing

intransitive verb

1 : to proceed without pause from one musical number or theme to another

2 : to make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another

segued smoothly into the next story

See segue defined for English-language learners

Examples of segue in a Sentence

Then he quickly segues into the dangers of being too hard on cops who make an honest mistake. That turns out to be the moral of the story, the perils of politics intruding on the job. —Ted Conover, New York Times Book Review, 18 Apr. 2004
As the Klamath Mountains segue into the Coast Range, moist Pacific air creeps up the river valley in cottony mists. —Bruce Barcott, Mother Jones, May–June 2003
But for casual acquaintances, keep your response brief. Just say "I'm happy for him," and segue into another topic. —Kitty Flynn, Cosmopolitan, December 2000
She quickly segued to the next topic.
The band smoothly segued from one song to the next.
In the movie, a shot of the outside of the house segued neatly to a shot of the family inside the house.

Recent Examples of segue from the Web

This year’s starts with a cake auction and segues into work in process lecture-demos by Paufve and Nina Haft, plus new dance experiments by Julie Crothers, Courtney Hope, Rose Huey, Molly-Rose Williams and Nina Wu. 7 p.m. Saturday, May 26.

— claudia bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Claudia Bauer’s dance picks for May 20," 17 May 2018
Students recorded Sunday's interviews on their own devices and will produce their podcasts with intros, segues and special effects.

— sara cardine, latimes.com, "Students interview community leaders, celebrities for podcasting class," 9 May 2018
Future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who collected 3,089 hits, including 10 consecutive seasons with 200 or more (2001-2010) with the Seattle Mariners, quietly segued from player to the front office.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: Thursday had an all-around legendary vibe to it | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 3 May 2018
On Wednesday nights, the entertainment segues into a 9:30 p.m. fireworks show.

— BostonGlobe.com, "The 20 best beaches to visit in New England," 2 May 2018
Classes begin with #RachetAffirmations — equal parts real talk and pep talk — before segueing into Trap Yoga, complete with hi-hats, rattling snares and bass kicks (no word if there will be any drill bells ringing).

— adam lukach, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do this weekend in Chicago," 19 Apr. 2018
This interest segued into a new, or rather old, passion: governance, the question of how power is wielded, the one that had come to him in his Normandy bedroom and in battles with his father—and indeed anyone in authority.

— vicky ward, Town & Country, "Why Nicolas Berggruen is Creating an Institute for Geniuses," 11 May 2016
Cosby, whose stand-up comedy soothed racial tensions, segued to an acting career as the first black drama lead, playing half of an interracial duo of secret agents in NBC's I Spy.

— gary levin, USA TODAY, "Bill Cosby's legacy: From America's dad to 'America's rapist'," 26 Apr. 2018
His work on diabetes treatments segued into cancer research.

— andrea chang, latimes.com, "Patrick Soon-Shiong — immigrant, doctor, billionaire, and soon, newspaper owner — starts a new era at the L.A. Times," 13 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of segue

see ¹segue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1913

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

segue

noun se·gue \ ˈse-(ˌ)gwā , ˈsā- \

Definition of segue

: a transition made without pause or interruption : the act or an instance of segueing (see ²segue)

Examples of segue in a Sentence

The evening news continued, a fast segue into a promo for that night's showcase program, an inquiry into the sources of the civic genius of Bonaparte … —Ward Just, Forgetfulness, (2006) 2007
Making a smooth segue into foreign policy, he offered a nuanced assessment of Russia's acting President Vladimir Putin as "showing signs of pragmatism," but added, correctly, that "anyone who tells you they have Putin figured out is blowing smoke." —James Carney, Time, 21 Feb. 2000

Recent Examples of segue from the Web

This provides a great segue into the next topic- Reserervoir High students that represented their high school at the Maryland National History Day competition.

— chuck gait, Howard County Times, "Teachers in county recognized for board certification [Highland/Fulton]," 17 May 2018
The Pentagon project was a lucrative segue to other projects for Stidham to tackle.

— julie gallant, Ramona Sentinel, "Detours in life lead to construction success," 8 May 2018
Talk about bisexual stereotypes and segue into threesomes to gauge their interest and history.

— anna pulley, RedEye Chicago, "Ask Anna: All the bisexual questions," 29 May 2017
Her segue to the big screen, with roles in movies like Paper Towns, Suicide Squad, and the upcoming Life in a Year.

— sue williamson, Teen Vogue, "Cara Delevingne's Evolution and Best Red Carpet Beauty Moments," 4 May 2018
The accent that left her embarrassed and headed home in tears some days, however, also led her to compete in speech and debate in school, paving the way for a segue into high school drama.

— sandra gonzalez, CNN, "Premium cable's first Latina showrunner is killing the norm with 'Vida'," 3 May 2018
That’s a great segue into talking about Emergent Strategy.

— justin scott campbell, Longreads, "Earning Our Place on the Planet: An Interview with adrienne maree brown," 24 Apr. 2018
This is Seoul food from chef Matt Delatour: Start with side dishes (banchan) and pork mandoo, segue into bibimbap or a bulgogi burger.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Pizza landmark comes to Bucks," 21 Mar. 2018
Opening with Shinsuke Nakamura—and closing with AJ Styles—is a great segue to the most must-see match at WrestleMania 34.

— justin barrasso, SI.com, "John Cena’s Equal in the Ring, Daniel Bryan's Conspicuous Absence and Other Takeaways From WWE Fastlane," 12 Mar. 2018

segue vs segway

Segue is occasionally found spelled segway, even in edited text. There are two likely reasons for this:

The familiar suffix –way (as seen in driveway and runway) seems to agree with the notion of a segue as a "path" along which something transitions;
The existence of the homophone Segway as a trade name for an American company that produces electric transportation devices.

The standard spelling segue comes from the use of the word's Italian root as a direction in music, indicating a transition without interruption.