tour de force

\ ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs

How to pronounce tour de force (audio)

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plural tours de force\ ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs

How to pronounce tours de force (audio)

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Definition of tour de force

: a feat or display of strength, skill, or ingenuity the movie is a comic tour de force

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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 The 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival official poster was unveiled Wednesday morning, a tour de force of colorful imagery that screams springtime in Louisville. — Pat Mcdonogh, The Courier-Journal, "Hot off the press! Kentucky Derby Festival unveils colorful 2020 poster 'Pegasus in Bloom'," 29 Jan. 2020 One doesn’t need to agree with Mr. Caldwell’s critique of President Obama to recognize it as a tour de force of rhetorical portraiture. — Richard Aldous, WSJ, "‘The Age of Entitlement’ Review: The Dividing Line," 17 Jan. 2020 Soa Ratsifandrihana and Laura Bachman handled what amounted to a tour de force of concentration and stamina with breathtaking physical commitment and precision. — BostonGlobe.com, "At the ICA, postmodern classic ‘Fase’ retains its power - The Boston Globe," 21 Sep. 2019 From Adam Sandler’s turn as a Diamond District screwup in Uncut Gems to Helen Mirren’s tour de force Catherine the Great, the year’s most talked-about performances featured cameos—no pun intended—by blockbuster bling. — The Editors, Town & Country, "The 2020 Town & Country Jewelry Awards," 17 Jan. 2020 Lupita Nyong’o’s intense double turn, especially infusing her twin Red with the horror trope of unstoppable evil but also sympathy and vulnerability, was a tour de force showcase. — Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, "Heat Vision's Top 10 Movies of 2019," 31 Dec. 2019 Lopez takes what could have been a low-budget role and turns it into a tour de force as the co-leader of the ring. — Willie Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Trump was right about SF homeless, of course. Then he blew it," 21 Sep. 2019 McIlroy put forth a tour de force performance on Sunday, shooting a nine-under 61 to win the RBC Canadian Open by seven shots. — Daniel Rapaport, SI.com, "McIlroy Shoots 61 to Win Canadian Open by Seven; U.S. Open Next," 9 June 2019 The work is a tour de force within the constraint imposed by a political commission. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "The Amy Sherald Effect," 16 Sep. 2019

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

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Last Updated

9 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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