Illustration of accordion
ac·cor·di·on
ə-ˈkȯr-dē-ən 
: a portable keyboard wind instrument in which the wind is forced past free reeds by means of a hand-operated bellows
: folding or creased or hinged to fold like an accordion
an accordion pleat
an accordion door
Examples of accordion in a Sentence
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Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
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Noun
The architect’s groundbreaking competition entry would eventually become the Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station, a series of elevated modules joined via insulated connectors that resemble the bellows of an accordion.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Adjective
The freestanding rack has an accordion-style frame that easily unfolds into a multi-tier storage unit—no assembly required.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accordion
Cite this Entry
“Accordion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accordion. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accordion
1 of 2 noun
ac·cor·di·on
ə-ˈkȯrd-ē-ən
: a musical instrument that has a keyboard and a bellows and that produces tones when air is forced past metal reeds
accordion
2 of 2 adjective
: creased to fold like an accordion
accordion doors
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