refrains

Definition of refrainsnext
plural of refrain
as in choruses
a part of a song or hymn that is repeated every so often I didn't know the verses of the song, so I only sang on the refrain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 refrains Her refrains center the desires underpinning MAITREYA CORSO. Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026 The most traditional poetic forms are repetitive, with strict rhyme schemes and meter, but newer interpretations are also built around repetition, relying on slant rhymes, refrains, alliteration, and more. Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026 To Mohyuddin, the refrains about Sharia law are familiar and ridiculous, but no less disturbing. Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026 Both are common refrains, but at the time, Hall struggled to see past the fog clouding his future. Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026 What Trump is saying Trump likes to repeat two basic refrains about his economic policy. David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025 Economists expect the Fed to deliver a kind of hawkish cut, a move that acknowledges the weakness in hiring but refrains from promising a sustained cutting cycle. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025 Normally, the Commission redacts or refrains from publishing proprietary details. Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refrains
choruses
Noun
  • Those are the choruses of some of the most popular songs by the Cocteau Twins, a band that seemed to come from out of nowhere with its own musical language, and its own deeply original way of using the English language.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 12 May 2026
  • Arias, recitatives and choruses are more like ruminations from the King James Bible, as part of a spiritual journey.
    Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026

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“Refrains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refrains. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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