tour de force

noun

plural tours de force ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce tour de force (audio)
: a feat or display of strength, skill, or ingenuity
the movie is a comic tour de force

Examples of tour de force in a Sentence

The book is a tour de force. Her performance in the play was a real tour de force.
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.
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid’s latest tour de force is an absurdist, boldly surprising condemnation of his homeland. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025 Then, in a tour de force of magical realism, three versions of Ty’s absentee dad crawl out of the walls and furniture one night. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025 Building such a plant is an engineering tour de force. Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025 Rachel Scott is a tour de force with two back-to-back knockout shows. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tour de force

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tour de force was in 1802

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!