How to Use hyphenate in a Sentence

hyphenate

1 of 2 verb
  • In English, we hyphenate some compounds but not others.
  • More women still are going double-barrelled -- opting to hyphenate their last name.
    — Jay Parini, CNN, 7 Aug. 2021
  • The name is long, hyphenated, hard to spell and nearly impossible to pronounce.
    — Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
  • The company first hyphenated the name and soon eliminated the Burdines name.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024
  • Leonardo da Vinci was a multi-hyphenate visionary known equally for his art and ahead-of-his-time engineering designs.
    — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 19 Sep. 2019
  • If the melting pot had failed and the hyphenated Americans remained hyphenated, this was so much the better in Bourne’s view.
    — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Opting to hyphenate, combine, or invent a new surname like newlyweds Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham could be framed as a mutually fulfilling means of self-preservation or an empty political gesture.
    — Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 21 July 2022
  • Yuliia Kaveshnikova/Getty Images The new husband's last name is the same as u//Specken_zee_Doitch's first name, and because the couple have hyphenated each other's surnames, their last names are the same as u//Specken_zee_Doitch's full name.
    — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Lloyd Webber, whose British title is Baron Lloyd-Webber (since the House of Lords insists on hyphenating double names), will receive the Goodspeed Musicals Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre at the event.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 17 Feb. 2026

hyphenate

2 of 2 noun
  • And now, the multi-hyphenate has taken the time to explain why.
    — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, 31 July 2020
  • Among the list of subjects are first ladies, fashion tycoons, and multi-hyphenate moms.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 13 Apr. 2018
  • And that’s when the billionaire multi-hyphenate turned testy.
    — Maya Kosoff, The Hive, 3 May 2018
  • Just how much wisdom does a multi-hyphenate star with a career several decades long have to share?
    — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2018
  • The multi-hyphenate has given us some iconic hairstyles throughout the years, many of which kicked off trends of their own.
    — Gabi Thorne, Allure, 31 Mar. 2021
  • In his first post, the multi-hyphenate appears on a young man’s phone, only to be plucked from the screen and dropped into the room with him.
    — Wired, 3 Oct. 2019
  • There are multi-hyphenates, and then there’s Jonathan Terrell.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
  • As hip-hop continues to mourn the Brooklyn hyphenate's death, a bevy of artists paid tribute to the late star.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2020
  • Look up multi-hyphenate in the dictionary, and an image of Zendaya may just pop up.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2018
  • For one, the multi-hyphenate did not receive any nominations this year—though this hasn't stopped her from showing up in the past.
    — Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 Aug. 2022
  • Scroll down to behold the treasures of one of fashion’s most prolific multi-hyphenates.
    — Morgan Sykes, The Cut, 22 Mar. 2018
  • Still, confusion and anxiety around what work a hyphenate can or can’t, or should and shouldn’t do, has driven some to consult their reps.
    — Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2023
  • Below, shop a few of the items that the talented multi-hyphenate will be bringing along with her on her summer adventures.
    — Lauren Tappan, Town & Country, 7 June 2022
  • The multi-hyphenate tends to keep it natural and neutral, a combination that never goes out of style.
    — Michella Oré, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2022
  • The multi-hyphenate was spotted in a lovely light dress while out in LA with her daughter, Emme.
    — Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 May 2022
  • The multi-hyphenate, who repeats mantras like this to herself throughout the day, swears by the power of positive thinking.
    — Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2018
  • Mae Martin multi-hyphenates bigly.
    — Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The multi-hyphenate made history as the first Black woman to ever wear the expensive piece.
    — Emerald Elitou, Essence, 23 Aug. 2021
  • But what about the in-between generation of multi-hyphenates and freelance creatives?
    — Olivia Allen, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025
  • But the multi-hyphenate got her first taste of stardom as part of the ’90s R&B girl group Xscape.
    — Kovie Biakolo, Glamour, 8 July 2021
  • The Houston, Texas native and quintessential multi-hyphenate gave a nod to her home state.
    — Jess Elizarraras, Chron, 20 Sep. 2021
  • That’s partly because the multi-hyphenate is booked and busy—starring in three feature films and a slew of TV series this year alone.
    — André-Naquian Wheeler, Vogue, 20 July 2022
  • The multi-hyphenate touched down in New York City ahead of an event and wore the coziest (yet edgy) airport outfit.
    — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, 18 June 2019
  • The hyphenate Smith-Cameron came a bit later, and by accident, after a director printed her name on a film poster that way.
    — Penelope Green, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The multi-hyphenate stepped out in Paris today with her brunette hair center-parted, blown straight save for a few soft, organic bends, her pout adorned in a soft wash of peachy-pink.
    — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 9 July 2019
  • Then in April 2022, the multi-hyphenate became the first celebrity face of beauty brand Glossier.
    — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, 7 June 2021
  • Stuart Tyson Swizz Beatz could be the poster child for creative multi-hyphenates in 2017.
    — The Editors Of Gq, GQ, 5 Oct. 2017
  • On Instagram, the multi-hyphenate celebrated the start of the new year by posting a video clip of herself performing a cheer-style jump.
    — Katherine Tinsley, Good Housekeeping, 10 Jan. 2022
  • Park Hye Min, better known as Pony, is the ultimate K-beauty multi-hyphenate.
    — Devon Abelman, Allure, 22 Aug. 2019
  • On April 4, the multi-hyphenate was photographed in Los Angeles with a mat tucked between her arms on her way to yoga class.
    — Alex Warner, PEOPLE.com, 6 Apr. 2022

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