tour de force

noun

ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce tour de force (audio)
plural tours de force ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce tour de force (audio)
Synonyms of tour de forcenext
: a feat or display of strength, skill, or ingenuity
the movie is a comic tour de force

Synonyms of tour de force

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Examples of tour de force in a Sentence

The book is a tour de force. Her performance in the play was a real tour de force.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In a four-hander where each performer excels in their own way, Wilde gives a neurotic tour de force. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Kincaid calls the 1982 work a tour de force of the collection, and of Basquiat’s entire career. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026 The show, which justly received the Tony for best musical revival contained perhaps the season’s most seismic tour de force. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 In a true tour de force, the sprinter also helped lead the American women’s 4 x 400-meter relay team to gold. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tour de force

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tour de force was in 1802

Rhymes for tour de force

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Browse Nearby Words

tour d'horizon
tour de force
tourelle
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Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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