theme song

noun

plural theme songs
1
: a song or melody strongly associated with someone or something
a famous performer's theme song
the theme song of a political campaign
often : an identifying melody or song typically played at the beginning of a movie, television show, etc., and sometimes recurring during its course
Some of these shows were truly unforgettable, with catchy theme songs that are instantly recognizable decades later. Grant Butler
2
: a statement, expression, or opinion repeatedly heard from someone
But literary history is also entangled with criticism. Inevitably so; let me revert unblushingly to my theme song: in order to appreciate a masterpiece, we must be acquainted with its language …Albert Guerard

Examples of theme song in a Sentence

He was playing the theme song from “The Godfather.”
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The morning news show theme song bowed at No. 2 on the chart released June 11, dropped to No. 3 the following week, then climbed to the top spot on this week’s chart. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 25 June 2025 The movie whose theme song was a minimalist, plaintive DUH-DUN ended up striking a major chord with its cinematic production design. Michael Martin, Architectural Digest, 23 June 2025 Despite the relentless pre-match hype montages, intermittent deluges of FIFA self-congratulation and the blasting of Robbie Williams’ hilariously self-parodic tournament theme song at half-time. Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 June 2025 For Electric Bloom, Warren writes almost all of the songs in the series, including every song in the first episode and the theme song. Sari Hitchins, Parents, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for theme song

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of theme song was in 1908

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Cite this Entry

“Theme song.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theme%20song. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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