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syllable

noun

ˈsi-lə-bəl How to pronounce syllable (audio)
Definition of syllablenext
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable you're not making a syllable of sense

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 syllable Their head coach would pace around them before belting out three syllables. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 The goddess Gayatri, a divine manifestation of the Gayatri mantra, is described in the Mahanarayana Upanishad as having five heads, along with three feet, six abdominal sections, and 24 syllables. — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 Those four syllables, Va-len-ti-no, were enough to set hearts aflutter. — Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 Sort of like how emphasis can alter the meaning of a sentence without shifting a syllable. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for syllable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for syllable
  1. damn
  2. hoot
  3. lick
  4. whit
Noun
  • Trump is not a successful deal maker, because no deal Trump makes is worth a damn.
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of damn
Noun
  • Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • What a hoot that was — eight Hall of Famers paired with professional anglers and competing for the biggest bass.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hoot
Noun
  • As extra consumer bait, the double album closed with this new studio cut built around a killer Schon lick (and not much else).
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the 7-foot-3 giant still got his licks in on Mysterio.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • His adoration, here as in all things natural, is infectious, although the birds themselves care not a whit for him, and isn’t that part of the wonder, the fun?
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
    — Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
Definition of whit

Browse Nearby Words

syllabi
syllable
syllables
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Cite this Entry

“Syllable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/syllable. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on syllable

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about syllable

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