How to Use steampunk in a Sentence

steampunk

noun
  • The brassy lights of the city, some fuzzed by clouds, are classic steampunk.
    — Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2011
  • Mix a little steampunk with a fairytale idea and a dream come true.
    — Stephanie Ogilvie, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2025
  • In one video, her avatar is in a forest, wearing a steampunk-style hat.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • The atmosphere was so fun and unnique with all of their steampunk vibes.
    — SI.com, 16 Dec. 2017
  • Add a love of film to sports and steampunk, and Wade's penthouse decor is about covered.
    — Amy Bartner, Indianapolis Star, 25 June 2017
  • Or perhaps a pair of two-toned leather boots, paired with black driving gloves for a chic update on steampunk?
    — Vogue, 27 Mar. 2019
  • The very custom kitchen has top-line appliances and a steampunk-y navy-black-brass palette.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The thought of a cold future that’s metallic and steampunk–all those video games that show the future–seems like hell to me.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Aug. 2022
  • Since then, the Joffrey Ballet staged a steampunk retelling.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Tickets for the steampunk ball are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
    — Anchorage Daily News, 21 June 2018
  • Steampunk Santa had brass gadgets affixed to a black coachman's hat and light-up shoes.
    — Dina Litovsky, National Geographic, 26 July 2016
  • The effect is a cross between space-age and steampunk and the charging case can even double as a bottle opener.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022
  • Dress up like your favorite steampunk or Gothic character — or don’t!
    — John Wenzel, The Know, 19 Dec. 2019
  • The Octopod steampunk octopus clock doesn't just tell the time.
    — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, 27 Sep. 2017
  • Horsehead and steampunk shoes are just some of Dixie art students' latest creation.
    — Chris Mayhew, Cincinnati.com, 30 Apr. 2018
  • An eye-catching combination of steampunk fashion sense with a delicious taste for the macabre.
    — Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 20 Oct. 2019
  • The tale of adventure is set in a steampunk, sci-fi version of Indianapolis.
    — Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Sep. 2020
  • Then, of course, there's also the steampunk bathroom, the game room complete with an arcade game and billiards, and a gym with giant mice cutouts on the wall.
    — Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, 27 Jan. 2017
  • In fact, this one corralled the bad buzz on the Will Smith-Salma Hayek steampunk Western.
    — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The production designers must have had a field day creating the steampunk/art deco setting.
    — Monica Castillo, kansascity, 7 June 2018
  • And the movie Wicked includes all of these steampunk motifs … because the whole story — all of Wicked — takes place within a damn clock.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025
  • This take on the Strip blended the ranch’s existing features with neon signage, steampunk props, and plenty of dystopian grace notes.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Only Canard has a bit less polish, with a few dents and divots left over from the former occupant, a steampunk boutique.
    — Michael Russell, OregonLive.com, 16 Apr. 2018
  • This musical has a steampunk-friendly scenic design, with segments of a giant clock and various gears prominent from time to time.
    — Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Think steampunk, a mix of Victorian and industrial designs heavy on the glass, steel and concrete.
    — Jason Blevins, The Denver Post, 16 May 2017
  • The city is unnamed, and, as for the period, my guess would be late-Victorian steampunk, tricked out with modernist gewgaws.
    — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
  • So why parachute into a Tuscan village in 1452 like some steampunk plying the future in the past?
    — Bridget Quinn, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Oct. 2017
  • Far from a traditional lever action, the BLR runs on a series of pinions and gears that would make a steampunk fan gasp for joy.
    — Bryce M. Towsley, Field & Stream, 11 Nov. 2019
  • The latest acquisition is a turn-of-the-century dental model with steampunk vibes and a new nickname, Harold.
    — Birmingham Magazine, AL.com, 10 May 2017
  • Ed Kidera, a metal sculptor who creates bells, steampunk flying machines and more, was one of the first to be interviewed by Crider.
    — Katie V. Jones, baltimoresun.com, 26 Aug. 2021

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