as in sophisticated
having or showing very polished and worldly manners
a gentlemanly and urbane host of elegant dinner parties
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of urbane
An urbane middle-aged couple was summoned to the bar for prime seats just as the man was pulling up a BBC video about barnacle geese, a species that nests on high cliffs and whose flightless newborns fling themselves hundreds of feet to reunite with their grazing parents.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
It’s based on writer-director-star Alan Alda’s 1981 film of the same name—an urbane box-office hit that has since been overshadowed by quintessentially ’80s rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally.
—Judy Berman, Time, 1 May 2025
While the town prided itself as the most urbane, sophisticated place between St. Louis and San Francisco, drunkenness, gambling and debauchery, typical of any frontier mining camp, were the hallmarks of its nightlife.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Oliveira’s father was a wealthy industrialist, and a view from the old house’s perspective invokes the comforts that his family’s prosperity afforded, and, with these, the inner vistas, the aesthetic initiation that opened up to him in his urbane youth.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for urbane
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
It’s based on writer-director-star Alan Alda’s 1981 film of the same name—an urbane box-office hit that has since been overshadowed by quintessentially ’80s rom-coms like When Harry Met Sally.
—Judy Berman, Time, 1 May 2025
While the town prided itself as the most urbane, sophisticated place between St. Louis and San Francisco, drunkenness, gambling and debauchery, typical of any frontier mining camp, were the hallmarks of its nightlife.
—Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Oliveira’s father was a wealthy industrialist, and a view from the old house’s perspective invokes the comforts that his family’s prosperity afforded, and, with these, the inner vistas, the aesthetic initiation that opened up to him in his urbane youth.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for urbane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urbane
Adjective
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Lindsay Lohan is sharing her frustrations about how growing up in the public eye pigeonholed her from playing more sophisticated roles.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
2 Aug. 2025
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Over the course of this engaging book, her illustrations grow more sophisticated, more assured—leaving readers with a portrait of the hobbyist as an emerging artist.—
Sophia Stewart,
The Atlantic,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This is far, far beneath the dignity of a civilized society.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
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Honoring and showing gratitude to those who step up to help others regardless of their origins is one sign of a civilized society that recognizes the worth of all human beings.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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While speaking as part of QVC's Quintessential 50, a collective of women that ushered in the brand's its new era called The Age of Possibility, Stewart explained that feeling good about yourself allows for graceful aging.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Housed in a graceful Edwardian building with long oak galleries and graceful skylights, Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street is one of London’s most beautiful bookshops.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Jordan is playing the billionaire with the art-loving sticky fingers, while Russell is the suave private detective.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
7 July 2025
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The suave melodic tones of Stevie Wonder are what has been most recently invoked in his work.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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The man was gifted, gracious, often generous and seldom mean-spirited.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
10 July 2025
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But goodness gracious, the Rockies are only (14-36) under Schaeffer after going 7-33 under Black.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Skylar Diggins, known for hitting the tunnel in something sharp, diagonal, and pointed, switches it up this time, opting for something smooth, slouched, and low-hanging.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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There’s a dash of lemon zest and a wispy umami base to this beer, which is smooth and clean from start to dry finish.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Urbane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urbane. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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