clerihew

noun

Definition of clerihewnext
as in poem

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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 clerihew Easy to write and fun to read, entrants were asked to write a clerihew that describes a famous scientist or other person, or event closely associated with fire. — William Gurstelle, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clerihew
  1. poem
  2. sonnet
  3. epigram
  4. limerick
  5. villanelle
  6. psalm
  7. ode
  8. elegy
Noun
  • Adapted from Blake’s poem into song by Hubert Parry, ‘Jerusalem’ may be slower-paced than ‘God Save The King’ but its fluctuations in pace and tone at least give it some momentum.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • My perspectives on the poem have been informed and shaped by the work of many brilliant colleagues and predecessors, including those in this volume and many more.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 July 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • People can and should be skeptical about the sonnets written about starting NFL quarterbacks every offseason, when no one is getting sacked and almost everyone looks good.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The conventions ground the writing as meter and rhyme steady a sonnet.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of sonnet
Noun
  • By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic?
    — James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • Johnson is the author of the epigrams, but Boswell is very much the co-author.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
Definition of epigram
Noun
  • The study picked 10 commercial large language models by top tech companies — including Meta, Anthropic and OpenAI — and asked the AI systems to make critical pamphlets, write limericks, give reasons if someone should join protests, and more.
    — Didi Tang, Fortune, 16 July 2026
  • He was also known for his haikus and limericks, including some written to summarize ethics.
    — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of limerick
Noun
  • Not unlike the rules of the villanelle, which are here applied with less than perfect rigor.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 May 2026
  • From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, villanelle was simply the French term for an Italian country song, and during the Renaissance, poets often used the title for their work regardless of a poem’s specific structure.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Aug. 2025
Definition of villanelle
Noun
  • But presiding over his daughter’s outdoor wedding helped, fulfilling another psalm’s promise.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • The word appears 71 times across 39 of the 150 psalms, especially in ones written by David.
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of psalm
Noun
  • The song, out now via OddAtelier/Columbia Records, is her ode to summer, centering on a relationship that exists somewhere between friendship and romance.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • The film, which debuts on Apple TV on July 24, serves as a sweet ode to this burgeoning pastime, while still poking fun at its foibles.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of ode
Noun
  • But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • What begins as a novel ostensibly about ‘cancel culture’ quickly shifts into a rueful elegy for a dying world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of elegy

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clerihew
clerihews
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Cite this Entry

“Clerihew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clerihew. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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