How to Use somber in a Sentence

somber

adjective
  • The movie is a somber portrait of life on the streets.
  • He wore a somber suit.
  • Her death put us in a somber mood.
  • Vonn’s crash put a somber mood over the event.
    — Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The evening began on a somber note.
    — David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The somber moments were well of the heart.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
  • And those who are still coming seem more somber.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Still, this year’s event may have been more somber than usual.
    — U-T News Services, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2024
  • The other half is somber and still, amid a sea of black clothes.
    — Bloomberg.com, 30 Jan. 2018
  • Then, of course, there are the somber ties to mourning and plague.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, WSJ, 10 June 2021
  • Some are young, some are old; some are smiling, some are somber.
    — Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Koenig said news of his arrest cast a somber mood in school last month.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 18 July 2025
  • Tone turns on a dime, the acting broad one minute, somber the next.
    — Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
  • God of War opens on a somber note that sets the tone for the game.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 12 Apr. 2018
  • The past few days’ fallout is a long way from any somber scene like that.
    — Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The somber aura in the locker room set the scene.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
  • The mood in the classroom has been somber, Hall said.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
  • But his latest single takes a much more somber tone.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
  • When a restaurant says goodbye, the mood can feel a bit somber.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2024
  • Instead, our headlines on the event are a great deal more somber.
    — Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The mood was somber, though leaving the hotel wasn’t the worst part.
    — Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The crowd grew silent at the sight and the Fox broadcast crew was somber.
    — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • The mood was somber, glowing, and peaceful.
    — Ed Bok Lee, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The threads are somber, humming with stress, slow panic, and calls for help.
    — Madhushree Ghosh, Longreads, 12 May 2021
  • Despite the somber mood, some trustees were not convinced that their fate was sealed.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
  • The shooting has cast a somber tone over the final days and weeks of the school year.
    — New York Times, 25 May 2022
  • What wasn’t part of the plan was for it to be done amid such a somber atmosphere.
    — Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 22 Feb. 2026
  • The space falls just the right side of sparse, somber and low-lit with deep cobalt walls and high ceilings.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 24 Mar. 2021
  • It has been said that the song unified and energized the somber crowd.
    — Calum Trenaman, CNN, 19 June 2020
  • The somber tune featured in the second episode of season two.
    — Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2023

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