How to Use castanet in a Sentence

castanet

noun
  • Sandra tapped her claws like castanets, and her ligaments bulged.
    — Elisabeth Egan, chicagotribune.com, 10 June 2017
  • The sea was shamelessly turquoise, the clouds feathery; the palm fronds clacked like castanets.
    — Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
  • They were based on castanets from Andalucia.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2019
  • And in lieu of castanets, our drummer Claudia is playing a bicycle wheel with a playing card.
    — Natalie Weiner, Billboard, 14 July 2017
  • My driver plays traditional folkloric music the entire way, telling me the metal of the castanets is meant to recall the sounds of the chains the slaves wore.
    — National Geographic, 23 July 2019
  • Ten small instruments, including a tambourine, a castanet and a pair of maracas, are delivered in a sturdy wooden crate.
    — Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, 18 Nov. 2019
  • But the most delectable moments were those laced with Spanish flavor, with castanet and proto-flamenco rhythms.
    — James R. Oestreich, New York Times, 5 May 2017
  • Their structures were extremely variable—chaotic, almost, with castanet and rattling often absent.
    — The Economist, 28 Nov. 2019
  • For the rest of the country, the Iberian fervor turned out to be briefer than a snap of castanets, and interest in Dunlap’s objects faded soon after his early death.
    — Hernan Diaz, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023
  • Onstage were four timpani, a bass drum, snare drum, side drum, a large gong, cymbals, xylophone, castanets, vibraphone, glockenspiel, woodblock, whip-crack and triangle.
    — Special To The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com, 30 June 2017
  • The first movement has the sound of a Russian folk song, but following a flowing second movement, the rondo finale is a burst of Spanish color, complete with castanets.
    — Patrick Neas, kansascity, 17 Feb. 2018
  • The country has changed tact, however, for 2023, sending an infectious flamenco throwback which should get everyone shaking their castanets in unison.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 9 May 2023
  • Workshops at the annual festival include beginner to advanced classes in repertory, costuming, castanets and guitar.
    — Washington Post, 30 May 2017
  • Jewish, Visigothic, Moorish, Italian, and French styles ooze into one another, jolted by castanets and tambourines.
    — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Nov. 2019
  • Toque, or guitar playing, is accompanied by other instruments such as castanets, hand-clapping, and foot-stomping, UNESCO said.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026

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