1
as in to speak
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
an English professor who loves to descant on his beloved Shakespeare
Synonyms & Similar Words
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variants
also discant
1
as in chorus
Related Words
2
as in observation
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descant
Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
For seven decades, Katz has been providing a visual descant to the work of the New York School of poets, many of whom were his friends.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The Hynde storyline, which includes her messing around with songs on an acoustic guitar, runs as a kind of descant against the personal and professional noise of the Pistols.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2022
Then comes a longer descant of mixed-up work, including bad versions of pop tunes and ambitious attempts at pop epics.
—Adam Gopni, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021
Noun
Bart, too idiosyncratic merely to copy the idiosyncrasies of the movie’s Christopher Lloyd, instead adds a descant of commentary atop them, sometimes seeming to extemporize a different show entirely.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
For seven decades, Katz has been providing a visual descant to the work of the New York School of poets, many of whom were his friends.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022
The Hynde storyline, which includes her messing around with songs on an acoustic guitar, runs as a kind of descant against the personal and professional noise of the Pistols.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2022
Then comes a longer descant of mixed-up work, including bad versions of pop tunes and ambitious attempts at pop epics.
—Adam Gopni, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descant
Verb
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Trump has also spoken out in defense of his handling of the various crises facing his administration — but not nearly with the sort of detail and solemnity that wartime presidents usually speak, experts said.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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In the 90 minutes the two spoke, Shaynak shared a number of details about his life that actually made it into the show.—
Marah Eakin,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iranians who were chanting against the supreme leader are now watching foreign bombs fall on their cities.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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The attendance figure broke a club record for the Paradise, and part of that came from a sizable AC Boise section of fans who chanted and cheered throughout the game.—
Amaia Gavica,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The large cast of smaller roles and chorus is excellent.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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To a chorus of boos, San Diego Unified School District’s board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to cut more than 200 classified jobs, in a move expected to lead to layoffs for about 70 people.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The stellar body that spawned the remnant lingers on as a fast-spinning neutron star, or pulsar, which was detected in observations made by NASA's Chandra Space Telescope back in 2015.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Mercury, Mars and Saturn are too close to the sun for easy observation.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cluelessly, the Biden administration lectured Israel about its military response.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
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Therefore, now is not the time to be lecturing our partners and allies.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Once a favorite haunt of music legends, the hotel still sings today, attracting couples, musicians, and business travelers alike.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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The Earl was all but closed, but Prine sings for this audience of four, performing six or seven songs that would make it onto his first album.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Latin polyphony and motets are being sung at the Offertory and during the distribution of Holy Communion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
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The service and concert will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the church, 815 S. Washington St. Castle Singers are vocalists who perform a variety of chamber repertoire, varying from Renaissance madrigals and motets to contemporary pop and vocal jazz.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But Ukraine’s inventories of Patriot batteries and their PAC-3 missiles are limited, as Zelensky made clear in recent remarks.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Daly indicated that Guthrie did not offer prepared remarks but just spoke with emotion.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descant. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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