How to Use prodigal son/daughter in a Sentence

prodigal son/daughter

noun
  • Zel wields free car music like the prodigal son who was once raised a purist—the punch-ins are beyond sharp.
    — Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2025
  • One of them remembered me from a long-ago visit and greeted me like the prodigal son.
    — Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr. 2023
  • The neighbourhood is back to its usual bustle — and proud as ever of its prodigal son.
    — Laia Cervelló Herrero, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
  • In his view, the novel recasts the biblical story of the prodigal son.
    — M.j. Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Nov. 2022
  • In Sweden, summer is embraced like the return of a prodigal son.
    — Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Refusing to grow bitter or give up hope that someday my brother will return like the prodigal son.
    — Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
  • Fast-forward to Spencer introducing his fists to a henchman's face, and his prodigal son arc is put on hold yet again.
    — Matt Cabral, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2025
  • And maybe, for that offense, and for so many other protests, the Embassy would refuse to help Daria, its prodigal daughter.
    — Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
  • What happens when a prodigal son falls under the influence of his older, American wife?
    — Air Mail, 17 May 2025
  • Politico’s Kimberly Leonard likened the moment to the parable of the prodigal son in the Bible.
    — W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025
  • In Columbus, Bronny would always be scrutinized and prodded as a prodigal son.
    — Bill Oram, oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2023
  • Curiously enough, what makes this interesting is that the prodigal son was not a popular subject for painting at the time.
    — Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2022
  • But the deeper throughline of The Stones and Brian Jones involves the primal wound of a prodigal son.
    — Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Nov. 2023
  • In the parable of the prodigal son, Nussbaum finds a model of unconditional love and forgiveness.
    — M.j. Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Nov. 2022
  • Wei-Chen and Sun Wukong are acting out an archetypal tug-of-war between patriarch and prodigal son.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 24 May 2023
  • In regular families, a prodigal son would have to reach out himself to try and arrange private time with his alienated father to hash out their differences.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 15 July 2025
  • The parable of the prodigal son, in particular, is cleverly staged and emotionally real.
    — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 24 Apr. 2021
  • Just how much will family visit the prodigal son Danny Reagan in Boston Blue?
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Gunn became the prodigal son who never returned, and many English critics lined up to castigate him for running to seed—and to free verse—in America.
    — Matthew Bevis, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2022
  • Few players are capable of upstaging LeBron on any night, let alone when the prodigal son returns for his lone Cleveland visit.
    — Chris Fedor, cleveland, 7 Dec. 2022
  • First, the show’s barnburner opening number is followed by a very, very, very long group performance at the show’s midpoint after prodigal son Johnny’s arrival.
    — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
  • But the real underlying reason he was fired is because Lamar Jackson is still the prodigal son of this organization and has all the power.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
  • None is more electrifying than a traditional spiritual about the prodigal son, which Oglesby uses to net her first theatrical role.
    — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Deeply resentful of his absence, with no qualms about commenting on his appearance (created with the use of a fat suit), Ellie is the prodigal daughter with a monster chip on her shoulder.
    — Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2022
  • Eastman became an active writer and illustrator on the comics line again starting in 2011 — the prodigal son had returned to the Turtles!
    — Jarrett J. Krosoczka, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
  • After four seasons of humiliation and struggle, Kendall the prodigal son was ascendant and probably in the best position of all the siblings to assume the throne.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2023
  • In September, the prodigal son will be in a Los Angeles federal court on tax evasion charges — which are more serious and, believe it or not, more salacious.
    — Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024
  • The latter was a task for Jess given by Kendall, the prodigal son who after three seasons is unraveling in real time after trying, and failing, to overthrow his father — again.
    — Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 7 Dec. 2021
  • The latter was a task for Jess given by Kendall, the prodigal son who after three seasons is unravelling in real time after trying, and failing, to overthrow his father — again.
    — Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 6 Dec. 2021
  • World Wrestling Entertainment’s prodigal son could become its undisputed champion on April 2.
    — Joe Reedy, ajc, 27 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prodigal son/daughter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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