tonal

adjective

Definition of tonalnext
as in harmonic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Her use of tonal color and phrasing offers a distinctive perspective alongside traditional Western interpretations. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025 Both feature unlikely partnerships and manage big tonal swings while keeping the characters firmly at the center. — Nick Romano, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025 One of the biggest mistakes this series has made, other than the massive tonal shift between Seasons 1 and 2, has been bringing back more survivors into the modern timeline. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 Every major hospital show has confronted this tonal clash throughout its run; stalwarts such as ER and Grey’s Anatomy have depended on ever larger and more absurd set pieces (tank invasions, ferry disasters, helicopter crashes) to ratchet up the action. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tonal
  1. harmonic
  2. orchestral
  3. rhythmic
  4. chordal
  5. polyphonic
  6. homophonic
  7. lyrical
Adjective
  • Engineers determined the most likely cause of the propellant leak was a harmonic response several times stronger than predicted, suggesting the vibrations during the ship's climb into space were in resonance with the vehicle's natural frequency.
    — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Telemetry indicated the fire broke out after propellant lines leading to one of the Raptors ruptured due to unexpected harmonic vibrations.
    — William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of harmonic
Adjective
  • Also surprising was the utter lack of any dancing during the 10-minute Dance of the Seven Veils orchestral piece (at least at Friday’s performance).
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The propulsive sometimes ominous orchestral music score from Sharon Farber stresses the points being made.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 24 Mar. 2025
Definition of orchestral
Adjective
  • Then the crickets become a new rhythmic feint, arranged for trap rhythm, and then another bass line blows up the landscape.
    — Michaelangelo Matos, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2025
  • If the rhythmic releases of norepinephrine correlate with the arrival of a larger tracer at a sensor on the brain’s surface, that would be a fascinating finding.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of rhythmic
Adjective
  • 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
  • Learning Greene’s chordal vocabulary on this record, living in his perfect counterpoint, is a constant inspiration for me.
    — Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of chordal
Adjective
  • In turn, her fiction felt lively and polyphonic.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The movie’s polyphonic introduction is also not sustained.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Definition of polyphonic
Adjective
  • How does this make any sense except as a very stupid, clumsy, idiotic no good way to give us a homophonic bridge to Gandalf.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
  • The content creator also used a homophonic slur at several points throughout the clip.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2024
Definition of homophonic
Adjective
  • The outlet unveiled its definitive ranking on Monday (April 7), placing Minaj at the top spot based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including chart performance, cultural impact, lyrical skill, longevity, and flow.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • There were no notable changes to the lyrical content between recordings, but with the demo comes a flurry of archival footage to contextualize the emotional performance.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of lyrical

Browse Nearby Words

ton
tonal
tone
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Cite this Entry

“Tonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tonal. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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