as in poems
a composition using rhythm and often rhyme to create a lyrical effect
wrote many mournful runes after her lover's untimely death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 runes
The suspect's shotgun and notes both featured Nordic runes.
—
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The symbol for Bluetooth comes from a combination of two ancient Nordic runes, or symbols, for the king’s initials.
—Shreyas Sen, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
The hot, scarred night of Mustafar is never-changing, the cave lit by the eternal glow of the ancient runes.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Reading the runes of the Apple special event invites is always interesting.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The symbol for Bluetooth comes from a combination of two ancient Nordic runes, or symbols, for the king’s initials.
—Shreyas Sen, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026
The hot, scarred night of Mustafar is never-changing, the cave lit by the eternal glow of the ancient runes.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Reading the runes of the Apple special event invites is always interesting.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runes
Noun
-
The poems explore themes of loss, identity, artmaking and the natural world, as well as the 1885 expulsion of Chinese immigrants from Eureka, California.—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
21 June 2026
-
But some users find clever ways to sidestep those controls, by disguising sensitive requests as role-playing games, poems or pictures, with many swapping tips and ideas online.—
Kevin Schaul,
Washington Post,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
That’s why people continue to write songs about it.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
The musical comedy adventure will feature original songs from Flight of the Conchords actor and writer Bret McKenzie and a script from Martin Hynes, who co-wrote Toy Story 4.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Runes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runes. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
