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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in observation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of descant
Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
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
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
Birds provided an intermittent descant to the insect buzz and the drone of a distant tractor.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 2 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
This is a dark and defensive descant to a more substantial and necessary conversation about whiteness in America.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 3 July 2019
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
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
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
Birds provided an intermittent descant to the insect buzz and the drone of a distant tractor.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 2 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
This is a dark and defensive descant to a more substantial and necessary conversation about whiteness in America.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 3 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descant
Verb
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Trump spoke after a swearing-in ceremony for Paul Atkins as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to USA TODAY.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Why not speak to Tzarina and check if there would be time on Alesia’s schedule to help clean up?—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Fronted by the Swiss Guard, cardinals and other church leaders led the slow procession into the sunlit esplanade as a male choir chanted psalms and prayers in Latin and the great bells of the basilica tolled.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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One day in ‘87, former Cubs great Billy Williams stood near the batting cage 2½ hours before a day game and heard Wickers chanting outside the ballpark.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Anna Barclay | Getty Images News | Getty Images Oil giant BP is bracing itself for a shareholder backlash at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, with a chorus of disgruntled investors planning to voice their concerns over the firm’s green strategy U-turn.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
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An orchestra, a chorus, a jazz big band, a marching band—these are complex macroorganisms whose inner workings require formidable feats of interactive precision, all of which depend on information encoded in a written score.—
Matthew Aucoin,
The Atlantic,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Therefore, an observation that Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel made before the series started suddenly materialized.—
Jeremy Rutherford,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Magic Johnson is pretty active on X. The affable and well-liked Lakers legend often will give his observations on a variety of topics.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Conor Heffernan, who lectures on the history of sports and fitness at Ulster University, in Ireland, said the current vogue for biohacking, and its protein boosterism, reeks of snake oil.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Her quotidian life was lecturing at a college in Aberdeen, close to where she was born, and the travel and mountaineering a teacher’s schedule enables.—
Sadie Stein,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Multiple derms sang this serum’s praises, pointing to its hyaluronic acid base.—
Rebecca Shinners,
Glamour,
22 Apr. 2025
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Two key figures go down in the caves and are able to converse (and sing) with Floyd: his brother Homer (Jason Gotay) and Skeets Miller (Taylor Trensch), a reporter sent to cover the story.—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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Her husband, my grandfather, was not only a composer who wrote liturgical music, motets, symphonies, and string quartets but also a beloved music teacher who believed that music was as crucial to the development of the mind as math.—
Stephanie H. Murray,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This article was updated with additional information and remarks.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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His office did not respond when asked if the governor’s remarks meant the state would continue to enforce the state immigration law despite the court order.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descant. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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