as in accompaniment
something that is found along with something else
with the babble of the brook as an obbligato, we enjoyed our picnic
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Recent Examples of obbligato
There is a lovely horn obbligato to Sifare’s Act 3 aria which would be challenging to play on a modern instrument.
—
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2023
As an obbligato of protest continued behind Wilson, Dylan, accepting Wilson’s advice, sang the insert.
—Mick Stevens, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2021
The long orchestral introduction left no doubt as to where composer Stephenson’s interests lay, the work’s first two movements amounting to symphonic statements with bass trombone obbligato.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 14 June 2019
The aria is enhanced by trumpet and oboe obbligatos, which were handled deftly by trumpeter Steve Marquardt and oboist Debra Nagy.
—Special To The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2023
As an obbligato of protest continued behind Wilson, Dylan, accepting Wilson’s advice, sang the insert.
—Mick Stevens, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2021
The long orchestral introduction left no doubt as to where composer Stephenson’s interests lay, the work’s first two movements amounting to symphonic statements with bass trombone obbligato.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 14 June 2019
The aria is enhanced by trumpet and oboe obbligatos, which were handled deftly by trumpeter Steve Marquardt and oboist Debra Nagy.
—Special To The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obbligato
accompaniment
Noun
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The song, which begins with the soft sound of an acoustic guitar, transforms into an orchestral accompaniment with string arrangements by Roberto Verástegui.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
29 Aug. 2025
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Many of us who are raised on or reformed by incomparable low-and-slow Southern pork barbecue appreciate cabbage slaw as a classic accompaniment, whether spooned onto our plate (AKA our tray) or inside a sandwich bun.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obbligato.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obbligato. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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