as in accent
the attractive quality of speech or music that rises and falls in a pleasing pattern
There was a charming lilt to her voice. a tune with a lilt
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Recent Examples of lilt
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
This region is vast and diverse, with as many variations on our signature lilt as there are preparations of barbecue.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
There is something so soothing and encouraging about the old-school campy lilt to her voice.
—Raquel Willis, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Noun
Platt has assembled key creatives from his own Oscar-winning La La Land including songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have provided some lively and lilting new tunes.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
This region is vast and diverse, with as many variations on our signature lilt as there are preparations of barbecue.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
The news people are announcing on repeat a mantra suffused with an English lilt in their mouths, that the fires haven’t gorged themselves on the rainforests like this in over half a century.
—Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
There is something so soothing and encouraging about the old-school campy lilt to her voice.
—Raquel Willis, Time, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
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The pizza boxes now boast a simpler design with the brighter colors, and the boxes for Handmade Pan and Parmesan Stuffed Crust pizzas now feature black and metallic gold accents to give the specialty offerings an upscale feel.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Scattered across the upper are enamel pins that flip Chanel’s smiley-face and yin-yang motifs through Vans’ own lens, while leather accents and metal hardware elevate the finish.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the bit, Rihanna and Ronnie (Andy Samberg) are dropping knowledge to a group of grade schoolers with the singer crooning in her power range as timid Ronnie can barely rise above a whisper to her utter consternation.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
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Tonatiuh croons a few ballads, though Lopez skillfully takes on most of the heavy musical work.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mann, like many other creators, does not produce content at the cadence that traditional studios do.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Falcons will be particularly careful about the way Allen uses his pre-snap cadence to force penalties and try to bait defenses into revealing clues about their coverage plans, Elliss said.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The track begins with Winter’s distinct vocals warbling and wobbling over a tender percussion groove.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
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The famous John Williams fanfare that blasted Star Wars onto our screens had appreciably less impact than even a standard screen would now offer, let alone IMAX and Dolby Cinema premium offerings while at some parts of the film, the sound warbled a little, before returning to normal.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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This performance conjured memories of Michigan’s loss at Oklahoma, another game in which the offense struggled to find any rhythm.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Wood floors that have been stained in interesting patterns create a sense of architecture and rhythm, bridge traditional elements with modern ones, and can even help a space feel larger.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Is there a way to keep your knives sharp longer? A.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Why would sharp-as-nails med school grads opt toward a presumably dead-end occupational route?—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But again, still, against the league’s best offense, the Chiefs allowed just 17 points, more than enough when paired with an offense that’s finally humming.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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Streaming services are, in fact, relying more than ever on films to keep their growth engines humming.—
Alejandro Rojas,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The blast furnace of volcanoes has fallen silent, replaced by birdsong trilling from the branches and echoing through a garden of exotic stone.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Expect to marvel at saddles blanketed in blueberries and multi-hued wildflowers, marmots trilling their warnings, ibex perched on rocky spines, and neon critters that wiggle and hop underfoot.—
Wendy Altschuler,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilt. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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