élan

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 élan Carter and Air Mail crafted the idea for the prize, which will be awarded to one fiction writer and one nonfiction scribe whose work embodies Wolfe’s imaginative, precise and literary elan. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 24 June 2025 The rule at these gatherings is to move with a semblance of elan. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 May 2025 Rice’s second was struck with such elan that even a gargantuan goalkeeper of Thibaut Courtois’ stature and reach could not get anywhere near. Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Shaun Grant’s script pulls off this trick with the smooth elan of a conjurer. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025 Trending on Billboard What comes next is a clinic in classic Jackson, with the singer popping, locking and skittering across the club’s floor while executing some of his signature spins and fancy footwork while breaking hearts and deftly dispatching would-be assassins with his signature elan. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024 The Orioles have adeptly selected their times to be aggressive on the bases After more than three hours of tense back and forth Wednesday night in the Bronx, the Orioles finished the Yankees not with their trademark power but with base running elan. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024 Oval watches aren’t exactly rare, but they rarely have been executed with such elan and sophistication. Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 May 2024 Chucho and Correa become good friends as well, as the principal is won over by the new teacher’s creativity, commitment and elan. Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for élan
Noun
  • Trump has been back in the White House for a little more than six months, and his family’s zeal is unflagging.
    David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
  • His zeal and enthusiasm to bring a fresh perspective to the Federal Government was evident in both the House of Representatives and as part of the Trump Administration.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • His meatier responses become news stories, and few have traveled so far, or with such fervor, as his 2023 diatribes eviscerating ChatGPT.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 29 July 2025
  • The dispute has since had major political consequences for Thailand and stoked nationalist fervor in both countries.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Some story lines take place in Dallas, where a grownup Bobby (still voiced with gravelly verve by Pamela Adlon) runs a German-Japanese fusion restaurant and gets ensnared in various romantic entanglements.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Chaumet More than any other house on Place Vendôme, Chaumet has placed nature at the heart of its creative identity, transcribing plants and flowers into precious metals and gems with verve for the past 245 years.
    Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • My experience didn’t quite live up to Rich’s lavish praise, but I was indeed dazzled by Greenberg’s New York wit, which struck me as an acutely sensitive, off-angle version of George S. Kaufman’s Broadway brio.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
  • Massimiliano Allegri will be Milan’s manager for the upcoming season and the 57-year-old has a reputation for sacrificing individual attacking brio for collective defensive solidity.
    Carl Anka, New York Times, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • But with a little gusto, and some high-quality driving skills, the couple are able to safely power through obstacles that would stop a vast majority of other van owners.
    Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 29 May 2025
  • The show, loosely based on their real-life, decades-long friendship, appeared to showcase Austin with gusto.
    Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Microsoft has emphasized the risks in remaining on Windows 10 with the same vigor as the benefits in moving to Windows 11.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Floratam, a variety marketed for more than 40 years, is the most popular being a traditional St. Augustine with lots of vigor.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025
Noun
  • To Kivel’s credit, these passages on the ardor of creation are some of the only parts of the book that seem based on a writer’s life.
    Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Ultimately her ardor for and abiding faith in literature, especially writing by Black women poets and writers, inspired her to found Well-Read Black Girl, an innovative, impactful, and award-winning nonprofit literary organization.
    Donna Seaman June 18, Literary Hub, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Rooted in the belief that manufacturing can provide both economic vitality and personal fulfillment, Roberts and his business partner Jocko Willink are building an apparel and footwear brand that prioritizes local supply chains, environmental impact and quality craftsmanship.
    Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
  • This growth both reflects and feeds the state’s economic vitality.
    Matt Brooks, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“élan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9lan. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!