as in hymns
a religious song
the monks offered up a canticle at dawn on Easter morning
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Recent Examples of canticles
Gustave Doré, the celebrated French illustrator, did elaborate engravings for the three canticles in the mid-19th century and devoted 99 out of 135 of them to Dante Alighieri’s darkest scenes.
—
Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canticles
Noun
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Most candlelight services include familiar Christmas hymns, a short message about the birth of Jesus, and a moment of reflection as the lights dim and candles are passed.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Dec. 2025
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The film demands plenty of its cast, including singing, dancing and getting caught in rapture, set to an unconventional soundtrack based on Shaker hymns by Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg.—
William Earl,
Variety,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
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During the events, roaring anthems from Lady Gaga, Rihanna, The Killers, Bad Bunny, Britney Spears and others are set to clips from Heated Rivalry.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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For their next concert, the VocalEssence choirs will recall the civil rights movement through anthems, spirituals and more.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On this particular afternoon, Hield sat at his locker before the game reading the same five verses from Psalms, while engaging in good-natured conversations with anyone who passed by.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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The group — including Dottie Jones, Jackie Ruffin and Darlene Simmons — were Grammy-nominated, and topped Billboard’s Spiritual albums chart with Psalms in 1984.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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During the Christmas holidays, children from the village comes to sing South Tyrolean carols in exchange for sweet treats, a local tradition that’s sort of like a South Tyrolean Halloween.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
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Onscreen, contestants raced to solve word puzzles, spinning the wheel of fortune and following clues about Christmas carols.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canticles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canticles. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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