1
as in swaying
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2
as in jaunty
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lilting
Nick Remsen, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
With lilting cadences, the king shares the origin myth of his Nkangala people, that a small elephant shed its skin while bathing in the river and a woman emerged, who married and procreated with his ancestors.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
The first violins unfurl a lilting, lightly bopping tune in D minor.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilting
Adjective
The bending roads and lilting knolls of College Grove, Tennessee, about 45 minutes south of Nashville, are still verdant in the late August heat.
—Nick Remsen, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2025
With lilting cadences, the king shares the origin myth of his Nkangala people, that a small elephant shed its skin while bathing in the river and a woman emerged, who married and procreated with his ancestors.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
The lilting Calle Malaga, Morocco’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar, is a joy largely because of its veteran star who envelops the screen and grabs a role of a career.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
The first violins unfurl a lilting, lightly bopping tune in D minor.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilting
Adjective
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As the sun set below blush clouds, the gently swaying crowd matched the R&B singer’s sultry energy.—
Anna Haines,
Vogue,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Glue the point of the hat to the side to give it a jaunty look.—
Caylin Harris,
Parents,
21 Dec. 2025
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Rental Family’s soft, breezy tone — complete with a gently jaunty score that never seems to stop — keeps things moving along, but its polished ease can leave questions in its wake.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tammy Wynette and George Jones may have gotten a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, but the crooning duo had a hard time severing ties for good.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
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Its 105 decibels of sound were plenty loud enough to carry over rapids without distortion and did crooning bluegrass singers and DJ’s justice alike thanks to its DSP tuning capabilities.—
Joe Jackson,
Outside,
20 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The musical movies have received critical acclaim, and the second film earned five total nominations at this year's Globes — one more than the 2025 Golden Globes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Other late-night shows have similarly reduced their musical acts in recent years.—
David Matthews,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Flora felt a brimming lightness, her sprightly grin restored, a new swing in her step.—
Fiona Donovan,
Vanity Fair,
30 Dec. 2025
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The sprightly song is now the longest-running No. 1 song in Billboard chart history after extending its reign on the Hot 100 to 20 total weeks this year.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Chipmunk flows and equally chirpy beats bridge the gap between the Florida fast movement, Detroit cloud rap, and the hazier elements of New York’s young alternative scenes.—
Benny Sun,
Pitchfork,
22 Dec. 2025
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Longtime fans will note how Cabin in the Sky’s volley of chirpy melodies, callbacks to old-school roller-skating and quirky skits featuring Saturday Night Live’s Jay Pharaoh evokes past De La fare like De La Soul Is Dead.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The governor, Tim Walz, defeated for the Vice Presidency, gets on TV, his voice quavering, saying the right things, speaking the truth, and advising courage.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The combination of quavering flutes and solemn, unfamiliar corridors is disquieting.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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But smart casting, witty writing, lively directing, and artful character development have also yielded the rare superhero riff that, as Kovak puts it, finds the human underneath.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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For 30 minutes, the producers mostly paint with a warm, lively palette, whisking fragments of IDM, ghettotech, and house into a hypnotic swirl.—
Rae-Aila Crumble,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilting. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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