as in harmonic
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Recent Examples of tonal
Instead, the designer recommends textural flooring such as cobblestone, moody shower walls, and surfaces with subtle tonal variation across walls, floors, and fixtures for a more lasting impact and a calm, elegant, and layered bathroom design.
—
Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Its distinctive suits were here imbued with a relaxed vibe, magnified by tonal combinations and easy yet effective styling choices, like trading classic shirts for flimsy turtlenecks.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The introduction of the Jimmies in 28 Years Later was such a fascinating tonal swerve from the rest of the film.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
Their pursuit leads them down a highly unusual path with no easy answers, and Bong masterfully balances tonal shifts from bleak tragedy to absurdist humor to highlight why the case remains so compelling.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tonal
Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2026
Its distinctive suits were here imbued with a relaxed vibe, magnified by tonal combinations and easy yet effective styling choices, like trading classic shirts for flimsy turtlenecks.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
The introduction of the Jimmies in 28 Years Later was such a fascinating tonal swerve from the rest of the film.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
Their pursuit leads them down a highly unusual path with no easy answers, and Bong masterfully balances tonal shifts from bleak tragedy to absurdist humor to highlight why the case remains so compelling.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tonal
Adjective
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But periods of harmonic rotation away from tech have refreshed the uptrend several times.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
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The ensemble was first formed in 1951 by composer Filip Kutev, who reworked monophonic village tunes into multi-part harmonic arrangements that drew from Western choral singing while preserving the ardent throatiness of Bulgarian folk.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Its insistent guitar chug harks back to the indie rock of Bury Me at Makeout Creek, but the song doesn’t stay there for long, melting into a foreboding orchestral swell and chorus of wordless voices.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
16 Jan. 2026
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The tighter scope and folksy approach — from a score with more spare acoustic guitar than sweeping orchestral numbers and an abundance of drab peasant rags over plush regal garb — is refreshing, at first.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Developing his style alongside Garcia’s flocking melodicism and Lesh’s never-the-same-way-once bass counterpoints, Weir soon had to also contend for rhythmic space between the band’s two drummers, as well.—
Jesse Jarnow,
Pitchfork,
12 Jan. 2026
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Though Robby Hoddinott was responsible for the track’s prickly guitar lead, the backing of bassist-pal Dave Torbert from New Riders of the Purple Sage elevates Weir and the song’s rhythmic bottom to something uplifting and downright prancy.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The Italian Jewish composer Salamone Rossi set Psalm 112 in Hebrew, in mainly chordal antiphony.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas News,
2 Mar. 2020
Adjective
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Women who worked in shops sang together in bellowing, polyphonic unison.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
21 Dec. 2025
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This not-quite-title song, which is nearly eight minutes long, is a sort of mini-suite, opening with a dog barking, giving way to an acoustic-guitar melody accompanying polyphonic vocals, then becoming electric and crashingly alive, until the relentless screech of a guitar drags you to the end.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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My introduction to homophonic translation came from my former teacher, Mónica de la Torre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Jan. 2026
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How does this make any sense except as a very stupid, clumsy, idiotic no good way to give us a homophonic bridge to Gandalf.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The San Bernardino band is a pioneer of the subgenre, which blends the traditional instrumentation of Mexican folk balladry with elements of American trap music, namely its beats and the gritty lyrical content that deals with matters of moving contraband, turf wars and endless hustle.—
Andrea Flores
Jan. 8,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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But Parton's heartfelt and lyrical promise also has a long history with the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley.—
Bob Mehr,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tonal. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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