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
… held a 10-point lead in the final stanza.—
Vincent Frank
Vincent FrankExamples of stanza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The teams traded set-piece goals from Brandon Hines-Ike and Morris Duggan in the first half and crosses-to-back-post finishes in the second stanza.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
With 3 minutes left in the second stanza, Nathan MacKinnon offered up a 2026 Nikola Jokic moment — an uncharacteristic mistake — of his own.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Hansen finished off her hat trick just 59 seconds into the final stanza, as Franklin pushed its advantage to 12-4.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Aside from the second stanza, which is a brief dialogue between the eponymous victim and an unnamed adult, the first and then third through sixth stanzas feature fairly uniform line lengths that are broken in the middle of a sentence.
—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
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Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
With 3 minutes left in the second stanza, Nathan MacKinnon offered up a 2026 Nikola Jokic moment — an uncharacteristic mistake — of his own.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Hansen finished off her hat trick just 59 seconds into the final stanza, as Franklin pushed its advantage to 12-4.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Aside from the second stanza, which is a brief dialogue between the eponymous victim and an unnamed adult, the first and then third through sixth stanzas feature fairly uniform line lengths that are broken in the middle of a sentence.
—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stanza
Cite this Entry
“Stanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stanza. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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