ballads

plural of ballad

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ballads Then there’s the entertainment team including a pair of dancers who tackle everything from the tango to bachata, a singer who goes for Alicia Keys-style ballads, a jazzy vocalist, and a piano player. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 By 2017, Cyrus was covering her tattoos with makeup, wearing all white, and singing ballads of marital devotion. Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 What comes in between includes a surprising number of love ballads and a few odd outliers. Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 Drizzy teased nearly ten new records and mixes in the film, ranging from acoustic ballads to island bops, New Orleans bounce tracks, and another rager with Yeat. Armon Sadler, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026 The nineteenth century saw authors in other countries (Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Norway) attempting to firm up their nationalist claims by ransacking popular ballads, rustic legends, and oral traditions. Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Robin Hood, the ballads all postdate the Peasants’ Revolt and were wildly popular and continued to resonate and echo down. Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026 As a result, the concert featured no acoustic sets, no power ballads, no reason for anybody to sit down. Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The soft, soothing sounds of Anne Murray and the over-the-top, emotional ballads of Barbra Streisand had filled our living room and shaped my understanding of female singers. Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballads
Noun
  • A student there named John-Michael Tebelak wrote the book for the show as his master’s thesis, with original songs provided by his friends.
    Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But there was another Olivia Benson on the screen that night … the cat Olivia Benson, whom the pop superstar — who boasts 277 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 to date — named after the beloved character played by Hargitay for 27 seasons and counting.
    Anna Chan, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In the southernmost car, dozens press together and sway in their prayer shawls to the hymns of the morning service.
    Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • For more than 50 years, with a few breaks in between, Squeeze has been making memorable tunes by marrying infectious pop melodies with sophisticated and literate lyrics, often about the complexity of relationships.
    Craig Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Sunday Night Football’s first game — and the first teams that Underwood shouted out in her weekly changing lyrics — was between NFC East rivals Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Not with hardcore perreo or the female empowerment anthems that have become her trademark, but with the vulnerability of a broken heart.
    Leila Cobo, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Dolly Parton, the brilliant songwriter and beloved country singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American working class.
    John Nichols, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • What’s dividing fans is Julian Casablancas’ insistence on using Autotune, as many prefer his raw vocals.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • After leading the Rain Parade, Roback started Opal with Dream Syndicate bassist Kendra Smith, which became Mazzy Star when Sandoval replaced Smith on vocals.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ballads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballads. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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