as in licks
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you're not making a syllable of sense
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of syllables
Many of its songs crystallize around samples of choirs singing, their soft syllables dissolving beneath heavy shrouds of reverb.
—
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
With her original, breathy way of speaking, stressing odd syllables and stretching random vowels to the breaking point, her mad fashions and family of wigs, Moira is a sketch character with depth.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
No middle name, no hyphen, no extraneous vowels, three syllables played on a drum.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
The rhythm of a sentence will accommodate a certain number of syllables.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Those with the speech impediment can repeat sounds or syllables, make longer sounds, or get stuck on a word or sound.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
For the monks or clerics, it is presented as a material substance, carried like a sack of gold on the demon’s back; the metaphors used are monetary or economic, as though the monks owe ordered syllables to God instead of the monetary tithe their vows of poverty render unnecessary.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Their brains had a smaller N1 response when inner and outer syllables matched (the inner SIS effect).
—New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Such a marvelous collection of syllables.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026
With her original, breathy way of speaking, stressing odd syllables and stretching random vowels to the breaking point, her mad fashions and family of wigs, Moira is a sketch character with depth.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
No middle name, no hyphen, no extraneous vowels, three syllables played on a drum.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
The rhythm of a sentence will accommodate a certain number of syllables.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Those with the speech impediment can repeat sounds or syllables, make longer sounds, or get stuck on a word or sound.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
For the monks or clerics, it is presented as a material substance, carried like a sack of gold on the demon’s back; the metaphors used are monetary or economic, as though the monks owe ordered syllables to God instead of the monetary tithe their vows of poverty render unnecessary.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Their brains had a smaller N1 response when inner and outer syllables matched (the inner SIS effect).
—New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Such a marvelous collection of syllables.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for syllables
Noun
-
She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Miami got some good licks on Mendoza, bloodying his lip early on a shot from Jakobe Thomas that probably could have drawn a flag for targeting.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Loaded Mac fits its name with bacon bits, cheddar jack, blue cheese crumbles, green onions and sour cream.—
Lori Punko,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
-
During a May appointment, the mother reported finding bits of dog food in the child’s bowel movement.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These are redemption raps with only the vaguest sense of what redemption might look like, a wishy-washy desire to both stomp the haters and be widely loved again.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
-
With traces of the trap titans that paved the way, Kushington’s motivational raps filled his trapper-friendly The Streets Is Yours debut project, which arrived last March.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Syllables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/syllables. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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