as in musician
a person who plays a musical instrument
he excels as a conductor, a composer, and as an instrumentalist
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of instrumentalist
Bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White, the remaining instrumentalists from Yes’ classic ’70s era, contributed little more than scaffolding beneath Horn’s whizbangs.
—
Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
The latter features performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and other creators actively working in the recording industry.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2026
Among thrash metal’s Big Four, which includes Metallica, Megadeth Slayer, and Anthrax, Megadeth have always stood out for having superb instrumentalists throughout its career.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The nonprofit's competitions are open to junior, intermediate and advanced levels for instrumentalists, vocalists, duets and chamber ensembles.
—Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instrumentalist
Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
The latter features performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and other creators actively working in the recording industry.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2026
Among thrash metal’s Big Four, which includes Metallica, Megadeth Slayer, and Anthrax, Megadeth have always stood out for having superb instrumentalists throughout its career.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The nonprofit's competitions are open to junior, intermediate and advanced levels for instrumentalists, vocalists, duets and chamber ensembles.
—Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instrumentalist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instrumentalist
Noun
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For Black musicians, this often means softening hard or sharp edges with safe, major-key chords.—
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
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In the ’80s, a young Parrish, a native of Chicago’s South Side, the son of record-loving parents and the nephew of a jazz musician, was immersed in sound.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
7 June 2026
Noun
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These artists defined their own style in Detroit—raw, soulful, and forward-looking—and eventually captured a global audience.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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In the wake of 2020’s protests, many museums solicited responses from contemporary artists—particularly artists of color; A250 has spawned no such wave of institutional commissions.—
Greg Allen,
ARTnews.com,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The writer and performer has a YouTube channel boasting more than a million subscribers.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
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Melancholic and intimate, the performer (Haylee Nichele) silently guided me to become comfortable in my discomfort, to sit with the evening’s themes of longing, loss, confusion and impending grief.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instrumentalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instrumentalist. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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