as in lullaby
a vocal or instrumental performance that is given outdoors at night for a lover
wooed his lady with a serenade
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Recent Examples of serenade
Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The 1892 work, written as a birthday present to Elgar’s wife, Alice, is unfailingly beautiful but also unassuming, melodically rich and, like a true serenade, meant to seduce.
—Michael Zwiebach, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Dec. 2025
Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The farewell to Late Night host Stephen Colbert was in full swing Thursday, as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon dropped by to serenade his friend and fellow talk-show personality.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for serenade
Noun
Across from the San Francisco Giants’ home base of Oracle Park, the audience swayed to British singer-songwriter Oliva Dean’s R&B-infused serenades at The One Party by Uber at Pier 48.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
The 1892 work, written as a birthday present to Elgar’s wife, Alice, is unfailingly beautiful but also unassuming, melodically rich and, like a true serenade, meant to seduce.
—Michael Zwiebach, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
Just for Kicks: Join in serenading with locals at Guadalajara Arena on June 13 for a brass-heavy show with Banda MS, one of the most beloved bands in Mexican regional music.
—Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The farewell to Late Night host Stephen Colbert was in full swing Thursday, as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon dropped by to serenade his friend and fellow talk-show personality.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for serenade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serenade
Noun
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And finally, along comes Katniss, who in the middle of the 74th Hunger Games sings a dying Rue the lullaby that Lucy Gray sang on their picnic years ago, winning over the audience with her help.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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Recently, Rockabye Baby, the world’s leading lullaby music brand, reimagined the project as a kid-friendly version.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nat King Cole crooned about its kicks in a 1946 hit song.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Adam Sandler crooned it in the 2006 Click, as the soundtrack to his first kiss with Kate Beckinsale.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As that old protest chant goes, the people united will never be defeated.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
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Thousands of fans responded with a sing-song chant, punctuated with staccato clapping.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The track begins with Winter’s distinct vocals warbling and wobbling over a tender percussion groove.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
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The famous John Williams fanfare that blasted Star Wars onto our screens had appreciably less impact than even a standard screen would now offer, let alone IMAX and Dolby Cinema premium offerings while at some parts of the film, the sound warbled a little, before returning to normal.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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In a now-viral clip, Carpenter overheard someone from the crowd trilling during her set for Weekend 1 and asked if the audience member was yodeling.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
11 Apr. 2026
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Serene spa music, a blend of classical piano and loudly chirping birds, trilled in the background as the machine sloshed and gurgled.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But a growing chorus of theologians, philosophers and bioethicists are calling for more conversations surrounding these procedures and treatments.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
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In contrast, her paced, crackling chorus serves as a recognition and reckoning.—
Caitlin Wolper Phillips,
Pitchfork,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Nov. 2025
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Today there’s a rich universe of supplemental Pynchon material ranging from prose only an English PhD could unpack, to sharp analysis that makes the experience of reading Pynchon communal and fun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Friends including Whitney Cummings, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben Platt, Olivia Wilde, Uzo Aduba, Joey King and Monica Lewinsky chimed in with glee in comments on the joint post.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
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Managers attacking journalists usually ends one way, and, predictably, Bild spent the rest of the weekend reporting with glee on Frankfurt’s defeat and poor form.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serenade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serenade. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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