1
as in highbrow
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2
as in sententious
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Recent Examples of high-toned
The gambit that Shelley somehow comes to possess her fictional creation is sustained, as Ida alternates between a very American dialect and a more high-toned British accent.
—
Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
The coastal Mediterranean meets West Indies vibe feels right at home in South Florida, and the refined yet relaxed decor is similarly suited to the locale’s high-toned but low-key environment.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025
That’s just the latest accolade for the Yorba Linda municipal course that continually scores above its weight in a high-toned category.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Many global rums are clean and light by design; Hampden’s are unabashedly expressive—ripe, high-toned, and unmistakable.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Blake is accused of having drifted into high-toned seriousness; Albert, now writing for television, is branded a sellout.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025
Bright high-toned notes of cherry and strawberry show on the palate with an intriguing texture that hints at a bit of tannin.
—Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
The coastal Mediterranean meets West Indies vibe feels right at home in South Florida, and the refined yet relaxed decor is similarly suited to the locale’s high-toned but low-key environment.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025
That’s just the latest accolade for the Yorba Linda municipal course that continually scores above its weight in a high-toned category.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Many global rums are clean and light by design; Hampden’s are unabashedly expressive—ripe, high-toned, and unmistakable.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Blake is accused of having drifted into high-toned seriousness; Albert, now writing for television, is branded a sellout.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2025
Bright high-toned notes of cherry and strawberry show on the palate with an intriguing texture that hints at a bit of tannin.
—Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-toned
Adjective
-
Not just the neat trick of beguiling highbrow critics while at the same time pleasing millions of readers who don’t care about literary bona fides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Some highbrow writers had a right to be irritated by the concept of chick lit, though that wasn’t the fault of chick lit authors themselves.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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This conclusion will shock anyone who knows Twain only through his writing, in which the author is wise and witty and, above all, devastating in his portrayal of frauds, cretins, and sententious bores.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
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Audiences have no choice but to exist in the theatrical moment, without recourse to linear logic, sententious language or psychological epiphanies.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, the love planet Venus spends the first half of the month in the curious, playful and loquacious sign of Gemini, making attraction more cerebral than physical.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 May 2026
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Caleb Downs would be fun on the offensive side of the ball, most likely as a receiver, because of his cerebral nature.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Such an attempt to normalize petty crime makes Vicky Osterweil’s 2020 manifesto, In Defense of Looting, look high-minded.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
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But while Taylor Sheridan’s shows, product enhancements and even blockbuster movies were on the menu, the pitch from Ellison and his team was at times more high-minded.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is where Fauci’s lack of analysis, intellectual curiosity, and humility becomes more obvious and infuriating.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
The juxtapositions of text and image, which strongly suggest the widening distance between mother and daughter, build in emotional and intellectual power over the film’s ninety-minute duration.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.—
Roy Scranton,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But the specific French dispensation—the idea that a man’s erotic life exists outside the moral world of his other obligations, that the wife and the mistress are a civilized arrangement, that desire is sovereign—this mythology did not make the crossing with me, or did not survive it intact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
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The 2026 draft footprint stretched across Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) and by the end of the weekend, the city had hosted one of the biggest football parties in human history.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The durable cultured marble top holds two ceramic undermount sinks.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
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In short, for the first time Tavira will be in the sights of the cultured, high-end traveler who at last has somewhere to lay their (well coiffured) head.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“High-toned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-toned. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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