How to Use carnal in a Sentence

carnal

adjective
  • Little bits of cheese just don’t have the same carnal appeal as one huge chunk.
    — Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 2 Feb. 2023
  • But on the carnal front, at least, the musical is made of softer stuff.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025
  • Most of the rooms are cozy cabins, perfect for a carnal getaway.
    — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2023
  • His timbre is as much a betrayal as his taste for the carnal press of white and caramel skin.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024
  • Use this time to refine, adjust, and recommit to a carnal code that’s built to last.
    — Bess Matassa, Teen Vogue, 2 July 2018
  • Drake is lost inside his carnal desires and yearns for that special touch from his side-chick.
    — Richy Rosario, Billboard, 27 June 2022
  • Don’t hold back on expressing your carnal urges — let your fantasies and kinks be known.
    — Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 2 May 2024
  • These bizarre animals are chaste survivors in a carnal world.
    — Quanta Magazine, 19 Nov. 2014
  • The amber adds a level of warmth that brings out the carnal, seductive side of the scent.
    — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 5 Sep. 2024
  • There seemed to be much more to the story than the satisfaction of one man’s carnal needs.
    — Nina Burleigh, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2021
  • The former is taut and carnal, while the latter is loose and unbothered.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 18 Mar. 2022
  • There's two parts of us, our highest good, and then our carnal, material self.
    — Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2024
  • There's two parts of us, our highest good, and then our carnal, material self.
    — Daniela Avila, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
  • There's two parts of us, our highest good, and then our carnal, material self.
    — Daniela Avila, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The Weeknd is an avatar of carnal cool, and Bruno Mars is a good-times machine.
    — Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2016
  • Take Bonnie at the movie’s start—carnal, restless, not getting any younger.
    — Lili Anolik, VanityFair.com, 19 June 2017
  • Or at least to the world the carnal figures look like those actresses, and the faces in the videos are indeed their own.
    — Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2018
  • Once upon a time, everything carnal or feral in me was made, by faith, moribund.
    — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 27 Feb. 2018
  • In fact, the most carnal scenes reveal the most about what these women want and how complicated that want can be.
    — Elizabeth Flock, Washington Post, 26 July 2019
  • An intense, carnal need takes over mid-bite into a Loli Farms chicken leg.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Constantine’s hot-blooded hit strikes a chord with the idea that even mortals are no match against their carnal desires.
    — Paris Close, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2017
  • With Sexy Drill, the artist and their carnal musings take centerstage.
    — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
  • But only in the closing moments are there flashes of the carnal flame that should fuel this classic.
    — Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
  • Madonna made a name for herself as a carnal dance-floor diva with a penchant for bucking the status quo.
    — Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2022
  • In some sections, there is something almost carnal in the way the roots and branches curl together.
    — Chiara Goia, Smithsonian, 2 May 2017
  • In some sections, there is something almost carnal in the way the roots and branches curl together.
    — Chiara Goia, Smithsonian, 29 Apr. 2017
  • Rosemary keeps things light while, on the other end of the spectrum, castoreum creates a carnal cast.
    — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2021
  • The former make for an easy snack (carnal or cuisine), while the latter are an even more fleeting annoyance.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 June 2026
  • The wafting, carnal nightmare grows more literal-minded as the final bows are tied.
    — Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2023
  • This area of your chart — known as the Eighth House — is also connected to our carnal desires.
    — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 30 Aug. 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnal.' 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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