tonal

Definition of tonalnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tonal In the process, American comedy went from being a writer’s medium, conceptual and self-aware, to a more tonal form that rewarded actors’ screen presence and sense of timing. — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 There's a tricky tonal balance in treating the lawyers' gasp-inducing ruthlessness as entertaining and even amusing while also allowing its consequences to be clear. — Linda Holmes, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026 Brown handbags are being framed as a warmer alternative to the standard black bag, while tonal dressing extends the palette across entire outfits. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026 The film navigates an unusually delicate tonal terrain between black comedy, suspense and the fantastic. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tonal
Adjective
  • Ziggy Marley was headlining the show with Burning Spear, and the air was thick with the sound of harmonic lineage.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But at times, the caliber of their technical and harmonic choices sounds arty and sophisticated.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Soundtracked by a theatrical orchestral arrangement that switches back and forth between jazzy and classical styles, the minute-long video opens with the pop star in a white suit and top hat, outfitted with many silver gems and brooches.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Clip Pro is a poor match for orchestral music like John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Piezoelectric generators are particularly attractive for implants because the body is constantly moving, from the expansion and contraction of the lungs to the rhythmic beating of the heart.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Shifting between precision and improvisation, each rhythmic mark registers its own time signature.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms.
    — Steve Baltin, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
  • Hudson buttressed Al Kooper’s original organ part into a chordal fortress, part of an incendiary performance that surges to peak after peak.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • His polyphonic paintings, made of marks unconfined by canvas or concept, almost demand of it.
    — Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In polyphonic music such as Bach, Van Bloss offers a superhuman degree of precision and individuality.
    — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In this grid, the revealer is at 57-Across, clued with [Hides one’s central point, in a way … with a doubly homophonic hint to 20-, 30-, 38- and 48-Across].
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • My introduction to homophonic translation came from my former teacher, Mónica de la Torre.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The thing was to be able to do it artsy-fartsy, slick, lyrical, and whatever the [new] generation calls it.
    — Angel Diaz, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The new record reveals a deep reverence for an acutely lyrical branch of Atlanta rap.
    — Narsimha Gour Chintaluri, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tonal. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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