as in ballads
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment
a recording artist who arranges his own vocals
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 vocals
The singer, known for her powerhouse vocals and acrobatic stage shows, dipped her toe into hosting duties back in March by guest-hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show.
—
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Labrinth, the British singer and songwriter whose ethereal vocals have served as Euphoria’s musical identity, will not feature in Season Three of the HBO hit, Rolling Stone has confirmed.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The songs will feature bells, xylophones, and other soothing instruments in place of Beyoncé’s vocals, as reported by Billboard.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The band was founded in 1988 by Bradley Nowell on vocals and guitar, Bud Gaugh on drums and Eric Wilson on bass.
—Richard Guzman, Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The former consists of Eva Grant on lead vocals, George Jensen on lead guitar, River Chadwick on bass, Leo Giaconi on rhythm guitar and Luca Giaconi on drums.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Digitally tweaked to fit the syncopated rhythm and stay on key, Weir’s vocals have a discomfiting quality that’s almost certainly unintentional—especially considering how often the beauty of the Dead lied in their very human imperfections.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Oftentimes, the backing track very clearly overpowered his vocals.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
While Callahan’s baritone vocals are good and hefty, there’s a bit of undue sibilance in his voice.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
Labrinth, the British singer and songwriter whose ethereal vocals have served as Euphoria’s musical identity, will not feature in Season Three of the HBO hit, Rolling Stone has confirmed.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
The songs will feature bells, xylophones, and other soothing instruments in place of Beyoncé’s vocals, as reported by Billboard.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The band was founded in 1988 by Bradley Nowell on vocals and guitar, Bud Gaugh on drums and Eric Wilson on bass.
—Richard Guzman, Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The former consists of Eva Grant on lead vocals, George Jensen on lead guitar, River Chadwick on bass, Leo Giaconi on rhythm guitar and Luca Giaconi on drums.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Digitally tweaked to fit the syncopated rhythm and stay on key, Weir’s vocals have a discomfiting quality that’s almost certainly unintentional—especially considering how often the beauty of the Dead lied in their very human imperfections.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
Oftentimes, the backing track very clearly overpowered his vocals.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
While Callahan’s baritone vocals are good and hefty, there’s a bit of undue sibilance in his voice.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vocals
Noun
-
In between are lush and smoky country ballads shot through with irresistible melodies.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The Asian version will take flight after the original contest takes place in Vienna in May, with 35 countries competing in the singing contest known for outrageous costumes, towering ballads and high-energy performances.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But those are two very different movies, and there aren’t enough achingly tender John Prine songs in the world to paper over the gap between them.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Who would have thought a suite of songs that cover being annoyed at TV chef Jamie Oliver and some rich Tesla driver moving into an old flame’s flat would be so comprehensively devastating?—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Newman often seems to be reciting his lyrics, even incanting them, reverent and repetitive.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At times, that means dense lyrics that almost feel unwieldy, which Taub cleverly addresses early on.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Outside, the protesters sang hymns and chanted prayers and held signs and images of the Virgin Mary.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vocals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vocals. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
