as in zeal
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Recent Examples of élan
Rice’s second was struck with such elan that even a gargantuan goalkeeper of Thibaut Courtois’ stature and reach could not get anywhere near.
—
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Shaun Grant’s script pulls off this trick with the smooth elan of a conjurer.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025
Trending on Billboard What comes next is a clinic in classic Jackson, with the singer popping, locking and skittering across the club’s floor while executing some of his signature spins and fancy footwork while breaking hearts and deftly dispatching would-be assassins with his signature elan.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
The Orioles have adeptly selected their times to be aggressive on the bases
After more than three hours of tense back and forth Wednesday night in the Bronx, the Orioles finished the Yankees not with their trademark power but with base running elan.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024
Oval watches aren’t exactly rare, but they rarely have been executed with such elan and sophistication.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
Chucho and Correa become good friends as well, as the principal is won over by the new teacher’s creativity, commitment and elan.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
And that kind of sucks for the United States, who have come to expect some style and elan from their spin zone.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 16 June 2023
Cotton-linen blends have the advantage of being slightly less see-through than full linen shirts and will crease a little less, but a linen shirt has a certain elan that can’t be beat in the heat.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2023
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Shaun Grant’s script pulls off this trick with the smooth elan of a conjurer.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025
Trending on Billboard What comes next is a clinic in classic Jackson, with the singer popping, locking and skittering across the club’s floor while executing some of his signature spins and fancy footwork while breaking hearts and deftly dispatching would-be assassins with his signature elan.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
The Orioles have adeptly selected their times to be aggressive on the bases
After more than three hours of tense back and forth Wednesday night in the Bronx, the Orioles finished the Yankees not with their trademark power but with base running elan.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024
Oval watches aren’t exactly rare, but they rarely have been executed with such elan and sophistication.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 May 2024
Chucho and Correa become good friends as well, as the principal is won over by the new teacher’s creativity, commitment and elan.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
And that kind of sucks for the United States, who have come to expect some style and elan from their spin zone.
—Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 16 June 2023
Cotton-linen blends have the advantage of being slightly less see-through than full linen shirts and will crease a little less, but a linen shirt has a certain elan that can’t be beat in the heat.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for élan
Noun
-
The public’s current zeal for space travel may be heightening interest in all things blue and teal.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2025
-
The former leader oversaw a ferocious crackdown on drug pushers in the Southeast Asian country, targeting with relentless and bloody zeal a criminal trade that had sparked widespread anger among his supporters.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Back then, the anti-immigration fervor of the Tea Party was just starting to emerge.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Mercury News,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Relevance is even more important amid an ongoing fervor for beauty dupes.—
Emma Sandler,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Then the blue team can get control of at least one chamber and again do nothing, but do it with the special verve that comes from gridlock: power without responsibility.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
11 Apr. 2025
-
With verve and drama, Durham draws us into the swirl of Soviet dancers, defectors, filmmakers, and politicians.—
April Austin,
The Christian Science Monitor,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The untethered, anarchic, comic brio of Robbins’ novels feels incompatible with today’s world, as though the intervening years have been explicitly designed to stamp out this spirit and replace it with something that can be bought and sold, something governable.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2025
-
At Atletico, his natural brio repeatedly slammed into the brick wall of Diego Simeone’s personality.—
Jack Lang,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Betsy retains the gusto of her house-flipping youth.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2025
-
On arrival at Valladolid, a DAZN documentary was released called ‘Ronaldo: el Presidente’ — part of a plan to ‘sell’ the club’s brand around the world — and Ronaldo embraced his role with gusto.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The pop star has learned to prioritize her personal care with the same vigor that fueled her professional triumphs.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Premature removal of the plant foliage reduces plant vigor and bulb size.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Each letter comes across as a set piece, a small achievement of style and tone: Vasari’s flowery, deferential missives to the duke, Maria’s youthful ardor and confusion, the overly pious cattiness of a nun.—
Chelsea Leu,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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Charles’ ardor also applies to Herb’s former musical and romantic partner, Nell Mortimer (Mulligan).—
Peter Rainer,
The Christian Science Monitor,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Sometimes, the country was cast as a strong and imposing hero, with unparalleled economic vitality and military might.—
Stacie E. Goddard,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
As the science continues to evolve, one message grows louder: for those pursuing long-term vitality and resilience, quitting alcohol is not just wise.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“élan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9lan. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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