1
: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe
2
sports
: a period (such as a half or an inning) into which the duration of a game is divided
The game's prime moment wasn't the decisive and popular eighth-inning, two-run homer by Mark Bellhorn … but a sensational play by Boston's Manny Ramirez in the top of that same stanza.—
Roger Angell
Roger AngellExamples of stanza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The last word of each line in the first stanza of a sestina is also used to end the lines in each subsequent stanza, except the order of those end words differs for each stanza.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 14 Mar. 2025
What the heck was the difference in the two stanzas on Saturday?
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Feb. 2025
But Vancouver nonetheless controlled the second stanza of the contest — first levelling the score, and then taking the lead with a persistent, skillful shift on which Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson were able to combine for the key go-ahead goal.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Njokuani continued to look to use his kicks in the second stanza, while Dos Santos continued to do his best to get inside to land his punches but was still active with his kicking game.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
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The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 14 Mar. 2025
What the heck was the difference in the two stanzas on Saturday?
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 2 Feb. 2025
But Vancouver nonetheless controlled the second stanza of the contest — first levelling the score, and then taking the lead with a persistent, skillful shift on which Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson were able to combine for the key go-ahead goal.
—Thomas Drance, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Njokuani continued to look to use his kicks in the second stanza, while Dos Santos continued to do his best to get inside to land his punches but was still active with his kicking game.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stanza
Cite this Entry
“Stanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stanza. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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stanza
noun
stan·za
ˈstan-zə 
: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually repeating pattern of rhythm and rhyme
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