parenthesis

noun

pə-ˈren(t)-thə-səs How to pronounce parenthesis (audio)
Definition of parenthesisnext
as in interval
a break in continuity there was a parenthesis of silence when the microphone momentarily lost power

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of parenthesis Here’s a rundown of other transfers who should make a major impact this season (former schools in parentheses). — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 Their ages as of the start of next season are in parentheses. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Where else could Alfred, Lord Tennyson, share a parenthesis with Ed Sheeran and the Foo Fighters? — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 The tutor recognized the expression, asked him to clarify his parentheses, and guided him through a second application of the difference-of-squares pattern. — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for parenthesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parenthesis
  1. interval
  2. interruption
  3. hiatus
  4. pause
  5. gap
Noun
  • Take a few minutes to loosen up and get the blood flowing before starting your first interval.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Tickets cost £33 (about $44) and are sold in 10-minute intervals, for a 40-minute visit, but the first batch are sold out.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of interval
Noun
  • The state legislature does not plan to reconvene before the end of the year, making the timing of the resignation largely a matter of political transition rather than an interruption of legislative business.
    — Jeff Gurney, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The game continued without interruption, with Sacramento State beating Mississippi Valley State 52-0 before 18,523 fans, the largest crowd for a Hornet Stadium home opener and fifth-largest in the program’s 73-year history.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of interruption
Noun
  • During the panel, Moranis revealed what finally brought him back in front of the camera after his decades-long hiatus.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The bloodshed returns after another 11-year hiatus, but the spatter is messier, thicker, and darker, seeping into a new vision by Ready or Not directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
    — Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of hiatus
Noun
  • But when evaluating this team, certain positions give you pause.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Virgo August 23 – September 22 Your body may be asking for a pause while your schedule keeps making demands.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of pause
Noun
  • The commencement of large payments before the works are completed has created the timing gap referred to above, squeezing liquidity in the immediate term.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • African banks are constrained by government borrowing and shallow domestic savings, while the continent faces an infrastructure financing gap estimated at up to $100 billion a year.
    — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gap

Browse Nearby Words

parentheses
parenthesis
parenthetically
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Cite this Entry

“Parenthesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parenthesis. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on parenthesis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parenthesis

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