How to Use bossa nova in a Sentence

bossa nova

noun
  • Uchis sounds great on bossa nova and glides along the single with ease.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 July 2022
  • Franks’ sly, svelte songs drew from jazz, bossa nova, funk, urbane pop, soul and more.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2023
  • Astrud was the true girl who took bossa nova from Ipanema to the world.
    — Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 6 June 2023
  • Some of them will once have been part of the memory of my mother dancing the bossa nova.
    — Alan Lightman, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2022
  • Eilish and Finneas even play with bossa nova in one terrific slinky tune.
    — Mark Kennedy, Star Tribune, 30 July 2021
  • The guitarist and songwriter works in a wide range of styles from samba to bossa nova to salsa.
    — Brandon Moeller, Houston Chronicle, 9 Apr. 2020
  • His hummable show tunes draw from everything from bossa nova to calypso music to hip-hop.
    — Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2021
  • The song, a bossa nova anthem, became the second most played in the world mainly because of her.
    — Shania Russell, EW.com, 6 June 2023
  • So inspiring to hear classic bossa nova songs treated in a modern way.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 23 Sep. 2022
  • Mr Gilberto was a star of bossa nova, a musical style that fuses jazz and samba.
    — The Economist, 13 July 2019
  • But The Girl started out as a moody indie-pop duo, with a taste for cocktail-lounge jazz and bossa nova.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2023
  • In my room, the lights were dimmed, a cheese plate was waiting, and an Amazon Echo was playing bossa nova.
    — Jack Nicas, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2018
  • Her wispy vocals drift through the song’s minimal bossa nova arrangement like fog through a forest.
    — Stephen Kearse, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Blame the Big Cut on the pandemic, or on the growing deficits these sports were already running up, or on the bossa nova.
    — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 8 July 2020
  • To Mendes, the appeal of bossa nova was both obvious and instantaneous.
    — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 29 Jan. 2022
  • The bossa nova era was one of two great, creative ebullitions in 20th-century Brazil.
    — The Economist, 11 July 2019
  • The swings carry a hint of bossa nova’s sway; the two-steps have a distinct samba flavor; and the bold hip bounces channel Brazilian funk.
    — María Magdalena Arréllaga, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
  • The introspective songs are a mix of reggaeton, bossa nova (a genre of Brazilian music), and neo soul.
    — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 1 June 2018
  • But Cara further finds ways to mix in elements of ska, bossa nova, and more throughout what's ultimately a breakup record.
    — Ew Staff, EW.com, 22 Sep. 2021
  • By injecting the song with a bossa nova cadence, Laufey made the Carey standard her own while remaining true to its core.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Customers can expect to hear bossa nova music in the cafe, which would have about 30 seats, including some cushy lounge furniture.
    — Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2022
  • The 3,200-square-foot space includes an open pastry kitchen, where the staff bakes sweet and savory items to the soundtrack of bossa nova tunes.
    — Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2021
  • They were inspired by the protean roots of samba, the silky vibe of the bossa nova, and the jangly wave of Brazilian pop-rock known as jovem guarda.
    — Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 10 Sep. 2024
  • But this research looked only at Beethoven and bossa nova, and didn't give mice the option of getting romantic while the music was playing.
    — Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2013
  • Among pop performers, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 turned it into a catchy bossa nova.
    — John Edward Hasse, WSJ, 25 Nov. 2022
  • And then there’s his fascinating key signatures, and chord changes, and the influence of Brazilian bossa nova.
    — Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Over the course of a meal, the restaurant’s soundtrack progressed by region and genre, sort of like a wine list, from France to Brazil, jazz to bossa nova and beyond.
    — Josie Sexton, The Denver Post, 20 Dec. 2019
  • The track was originally recorded by her then-husband, João Gilberto, also known as the the father of bossa nova.
    — Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 6 June 2023
  • Gilberto was a giant of bossa nova and is often credited with helping develop the sound of the genre that brought Brazilian music to the world.
    — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 6 July 2019
  • In any case, though the bossa nova craze had begun to fade in America, the 47-year-old composer agreed to record with Regina.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bossa nova.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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