Illustration of crescendo
- mark indicating crescendo 2
cre·scen·do
krə-ˈshen-(ˌ)dō 
plural crescendos also crescendoes or crescendi
krə-ˈshen-dē
1
a
: a gradual increase
a crescendo of excitement
specifically
: a gradual increase in volume of a musical passage
b
: the peak of a gradual increase : climax
… complaints about stifling smog conditions reach a crescendo …—
DownBeat
DownBeat2
: a crescendo musical passage
crescendo
intransitive verb
crescendo
2 of 2adverb or adjective
: with an increase in volume
—used as a direction in music
Examples of crescendo in a Sentence
Noun
The noise rose to a crescendo.
excitement in the auditorium slowly built up and reached its crescendo when the star walked on stage
Recent Examples on the Web
Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
To date, astronomers have managed to detect about 300 such mergers via their associated crescendos of gravitational waves.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
These musical crescendos are practically chapter titles, offering opportunities for sobering reflection.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
America’s new love affair with gambling reached a crescendo on Super Bowl Sunday, when federally regulated prediction market Kalshi processed an eye-popping $871 million in trading volume—most of it tied to the NFL’s biggest game of the year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
The pervasive use of less lethal tactics, caught on video and ricocheting across social media, began in late spring and summer in California and Oregon, expanded into Chicago in the fall and reached a crescendo in Minneapolis, where officers shot and killed two protesters last month.
—Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
To date, astronomers have managed to detect about 300 such mergers via their associated crescendos of gravitational waves.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
These musical crescendos are practically chapter titles, offering opportunities for sobering reflection.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
America’s new love affair with gambling reached a crescendo on Super Bowl Sunday, when federally regulated prediction market Kalshi processed an eye-popping $871 million in trading volume—most of it tied to the NFL’s biggest game of the year.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crescendo
Cite this Entry
“Crescendo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crescendo. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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