TONAL Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

tonal

adjective

Definition of tonal

as in harmonic

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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 tonal This look features jelly brown, opaque brown, and black to create a look that features cheetah prints, French tips, auras, and more in a very tonal palette. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 21 Oct. 2026 Gosling is in every scene of the 156-minute movie, and he’s called upon to play every note on the tonal scale in a performance that utilizes his razor-sharp comic timing before moving into emotionally devastating registers. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 From the fuchsia silk strapless gown to its pleated train in rose and pale pink, Instagram fans instantly fell in love with the tonal mix (a black bow in back, however, divided style pundits, some deeming it an unnecessary detail). — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 In the process, American comedy went from being a writer’s medium, conceptual and self-aware, to a more tonal form that rewarded actors’ screen presence and sense of timing. — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tonal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tonal

Adjective

Ziggy Marley was headlining the show with Burning Spear, and the air was thick with the sound of harmonic lineage.

— Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
But at times, the caliber of their technical and harmonic choices sounds arty and sophisticated.

— Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of harmonic

Adjective

Soundtracked by a theatrical orchestral arrangement that switches back and forth between jazzy and classical styles, the minute-long video opens with the pop star in a white suit and top hat, outfitted with many silver gems and brooches.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026
The Clip Pro is a poor match for orchestral music like John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of orchestral

Adjective

Piezoelectric generators are particularly attractive for implants because the body is constantly moving, from the expansion and contraction of the lungs to the rhythmic beating of the heart.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Shifting between precision and improvisation, each rhythmic mark registers its own time signature.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rhythmic

Adjective

Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms.

— Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
Hudson buttressed Al Kooper’s original organ part into a chordal fortress, part of an incendiary performance that surges to peak after peak.

— Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Definition of chordal

Adjective

In this grid, the revealer is at 57-Across, clued with [Hides one’s central point, in a way … with a doubly homophonic hint to 20-, 30-, 38- and 48-Across].

— Sean McGowan, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
My introduction to homophonic translation came from my former teacher, Mónica de la Torre.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Jan. 2026

Definition of homophonic

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tonal

tone

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“Tonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tonal. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of tonal

adjective

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