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 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 Top 10 best malls Here are USA Today readers’ 2026 selections of their favorite malls in the United States with last year’s rank in parentheses. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for parenthesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parenthesis
  1. interval
  2. interruption
  3. hiatus
  4. pause
  5. gap
Noun
  • Put a handful in a pint-size Mason jar and melt in 30-second intervals.
    — Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026
  • IndyCar street races continue in rain, though they can be suspended in 30-minute intervals for nearby lightning strikes.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of interval
Noun
  • The explosions provide different interruptions, punctuating the moment as one of Keeley’s ideas plays out in real time.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The state also acknowledged technical interruptions affecting some schools during this year’s testing window.
    — Katie Pace Miles, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of interruption
Noun
  • Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza are taking separate hiatuses from Katseye; while Bannerman’s status in the group remains unknown, Laforteza’s mental-health break will continue until she’s reassessed in September.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The father of two has been on a bit of a hiatus for personal reasons after a series of significant challenges.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of hiatus
Noun
  • Another arguably bigger factor is the return of student debt payments and credit bureau reporting after a Covid-era pause.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There was a pause, as a room full of songwriters — the event was specifically for the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing — erupted into laughter.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pause
Noun
  • That gap matters far more now that the premiums have compressed, and in many cases inverted.
    — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Even though public schooling became compulsory in 1896, the language barrier and the remote location of many plantations led to gaps in access to these laborers’ formal education.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 21 Aug. 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 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on parenthesis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parenthesis

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