How to Use motif in a Sentence

motif

noun
  • The wallpaper has a flower motif.
  • The same motif featured at the waist.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 28 May 2026
  • Jameson wore a black and white two-pice with a heart motif paired with a cap.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
  • That will be a dominant motif of the next three years.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
  • As far as visual motifs go, this one was pretty on the nose.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • This will be a recurring motif, these kind of light rings.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 May 2026
  • And with so many jungle motifs to play with, there’s lots to explore.
    — Maggie Griswold, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The artist weaves this one together with motifs from sea, earth, and sky.
    — Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
  • Gambling is kind of a motif this season.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026
  • Stained glass along with acorn and oak leaf motifs are woven throughout the home.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The motif extends well beyond the phone call.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The flower motif is used to guide spirits back to the living world.
    — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The little red beetles appear as a motif on clothes and decor.
    — Kate Morgan, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023
  • The artist needs no cerebral middleman to move the motif from the world to the page.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Many of the looks were monotone, but floral motifs were a main driver.
    — Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Rath suggests choosing motifs and cheery hues that speak to you as a starting point.
    — Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Blanc does have a couple motifs that peak their heads up through the different movies.
    — Fred Topel, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The bed resists public-facing things, hence its charge as a womb to tomb motif.
    — Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Yet of course that two-note shark motif gets all the attention and made all the impact.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Matching toile shams with a rose-and-butterfly motif are a must as well.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The Gift logo motif at the hem of one sleeve–this is one standout in the range.
    — Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Oceanic motifs were all over the runways this season, from shells and fish to corals and waves.
    — Frances Solá-Santiago, InStyle, 24 May 2026
  • Fruit motifs are a bright and cheerful way to add a little retro charm to a tablescape or bar cart.
    — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Pair large motifs with smaller ones, or florals with simple stripes.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The latter is overlaid with a light blue bandana motif.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
  • If florals are the must-have print of spring, then gingham is the go-to motif come summer.
    — Maria Ward, Vogue, 13 July 2017
  • The event invited guests to embrace the event's space motif.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The athlete also added a tie with the same four-bar motif featured on the trousers and on the sport coat.
    — Julia Teti, WWD, 27 Jan. 2025
  • If that weren’t enough, the vehicle’s flanks are adorned with motifs that depict a bunch of grapes.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2023
  • The sea motif is threaded throughout the tasting room.
    — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026

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

Last Updated: