How to Use instrumental in a Sentence

instrumental

adjective
  • They played instrumental music at the wedding.
  • Your answer will be instrumental in picking out the best pair for you.
    Alyssa Brascia, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
  • On one hand, that means the comeback Carlile was instrumental in engineering could just be the beginning.
    Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2022
  • These are the very people who are instrumental in envisioning the onscreen worlds that fans yearn to incorporate into their own lives.
    Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2022
  • The airbrush was instrumental in translating natural tones of the blue skin into what was essentially beauty makeup for our lead Talokan females.
    Tiffany Dodson, Harper's BAZAAR, 11 Nov. 2022
  • Iran’s proxy Hezbollah has been instrumental in assisting Assad regain territory lost to militias and rebel groups.
    Mostafa Salem, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
  • New York Mayor Eric Adams was instrumental in getting the project, set to open in 2027, past the finish line.
    Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Nov. 2022
  • As many of you know, Rob has been instrumental in Roku’s growth.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Jan. 2023
  • The clip is set to an instrumental song from the Jurassic Park soundtrack.
    Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 28 July 2024
  • Pakistan’s robust surveillance system, for instance, has been instrumental in its progress toward reducing polio and should be mirrored globally.
    Rose Gana Fomban Leke and Zulfiqar Bhutta, STAT, 17 Nov. 2022
  • How has the Black Opry been instrumental in your career?
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2024
  • Both are part of their son’s coaching team and have been instrumental in his success to date.
    George Ramsay, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024
  • Your answer will be instrumental in picking out the best pair for you.
    Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Wolveck was instrumental in helping Ralph start his CPA firm and run it.
    Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 June 2023
  • The stage is bare, and the oligarch, who played an instrumental role in Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, speaks to us from a liminal space.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Two decades later, Hasler has also been instrumental in getting the Hügu Himu loops off the ground.
    Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
  • On balance, the group had been instrumental in that regard.
    Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2023
  • He’s been very instrumental in being our guide through all these artists and working with these artists and whatnot.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2023
  • Nathan Fielder was instrumental in bringing you to HBO, is that right?
    Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 July 2023
  • Those are the dreams come true, and that song really was instrumental in that happening for us.
    Liza Lentini, SPIN, 17 Mar. 2023
  • The singer went jazzy for her rendition of the track, with her backup band reduced to just a single pianist and cellist for the instrumental.
    Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2023
  • The group was also instrumental in giving the neighborhood its moniker in 1978.
    La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 8 June 2023
  • This advice has been instrumental in the success of Temlaphak Farms.
    Karthika Gupta, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2023
  • In that way, a love scene can prove as instrumental to plot and character as any other scene, Haigh argued.
    Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
  • The two were instrumental in the Giants' first playoff victory since the franchise went on its Super Bowl run in 2011.
    Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Those changes could be instrumental in making or breaking the support from Democrats.
    Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Christy Harmon, a photo editor on the Styles desk, was instrumental in tracking down the archival footage.
    John Otis, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2024
  • Aaron Zigman composed the instrumental score for Six Triple Eight.
    Fred Topel, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024
  • According to the multi-sport athlete, Bruce and Jan were instrumental in her and George's pursuits.
    Nasha Smith, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024
  • The short clip featured a montage of childhood home videos and clips of recent solo performances set to the track’s instrumental.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 4 Aug. 2023

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