refrain

as in chorus
a part of a song or hymn that is repeated every so often I didn't know the verses of the song, so I only sang on the refrain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 refrain If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies frequently reiterates the title’s refrain and draws parallels between AI superintelligence and the possibility of nuclear war. Book Marks october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025 Viewers will hear a sing-song refrain in Phoenix after key buckets. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Normally, the Commission redacts or refrains from publishing proprietary details. Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025 After Erika gave her tribute to her husband, along with a powerful message of forgiveness for her husband’s killer, Musk echoed the refrain with a line from the Lord’s Prayer. Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for refrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refrain
chorus
Noun
  • Most of the song, the pre-chorus, chorus, all that stuff, that was really quick.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Once the chorus comes back around, Beer happily performs on a float in the middle of the parade.
    Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Refrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refrain. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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