as in rhythms
the recurrent pattern formed by a series of sounds having a regular rise and fall in intensity
the soothing cadence of the lecturer's voice nearly put me to sleep
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Recent Examples of cadences
De Niro delineates the two characters, who appear in several scenes together like the twins in The Parent Trap, with different vocal cadences (Genovese’s voice is much higher), hairlines, and considerable make-up and prosthetics.
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Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Voiced in concise, elegant cadences a literary half-step above daily discourse, the work unfolds in sequences of still images—the two main characters alone and together, punctuated by shots of Changchung’s gelid urban landscape—set to precisely syncopated music.
—Philip Tinari, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
This became the hope, and the promise, of comedy as standup exploded in popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century, its cadences absorbed into other realms of American entertainment, from late night to the sitcom.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornets and Alabama A&M’s Marching Maroon & White Band delivered deep, rich cadences, while Hampton’s Marching Force and UAPB’s Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South commanded the field with sheer showmanship.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Feb. 2025
The bipartisan Establishment can only shake its head at the massive break from the way things have rolled in the post-World War II cadences.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
With their Kangol hats, unlaced Adidas, and leather jackets, Run-DMC redefined the look as well as the sound of hip-hop at the end of the disco era, ushering in harsh drum machine beats, staccato cadences, and occasional explosions of hard rock guitar.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 28 Jan. 2025
That’s not the same little bird, announcing in eternal cadences the coming of some other, new spring.
—Andriy Sodomora (tr. Sabrina Jaszi & Roman Ivashkiv), The Dial, 12 Dec. 2024
Alligator’s reverence for the trappings and cadences of ’90s rap plays well with the kind of arbitrators who’ve put all three of Nas’s King’s Disease albums in the running for trophies.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Voiced in concise, elegant cadences a literary half-step above daily discourse, the work unfolds in sequences of still images—the two main characters alone and together, punctuated by shots of Changchung’s gelid urban landscape—set to precisely syncopated music.
—Philip Tinari, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
This became the hope, and the promise, of comedy as standup exploded in popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century, its cadences absorbed into other realms of American entertainment, from late night to the sitcom.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornets and Alabama A&M’s Marching Maroon & White Band delivered deep, rich cadences, while Hampton’s Marching Force and UAPB’s Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South commanded the field with sheer showmanship.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Feb. 2025
The bipartisan Establishment can only shake its head at the massive break from the way things have rolled in the post-World War II cadences.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
With their Kangol hats, unlaced Adidas, and leather jackets, Run-DMC redefined the look as well as the sound of hip-hop at the end of the disco era, ushering in harsh drum machine beats, staccato cadences, and occasional explosions of hard rock guitar.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 28 Jan. 2025
That’s not the same little bird, announcing in eternal cadences the coming of some other, new spring.
—Andriy Sodomora (tr. Sabrina Jaszi & Roman Ivashkiv), The Dial, 12 Dec. 2024
Alligator’s reverence for the trappings and cadences of ’90s rap plays well with the kind of arbitrators who’ve put all three of Nas’s King’s Disease albums in the running for trophies.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cadences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cadences. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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