as in hymns
a religious song
the monks offered up a canticle at dawn on Easter morning
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Recent Examples of canticles
Gustave Doré, the celebrated French illustrator, did elaborate engravings for the three canticles in the mid-19th century and devoted 99 out of 135 of them to Dante Alighieri’s darkest scenes.
—
Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for canticles
Noun
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The hour-long event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Christian hymns were sung in English and Creole.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Through more than 200 interviews and a blend of entertainment and education, the podcast highlights Kuti’s impact while incorporating the voices of women in his life and showcasing his musical works as anthems for freedom.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
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Teenagers scaled Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge and blasted revolutionary anthems by artists whose songs captured young people’s frustrations with the regime.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The epitome of that tradition is Choral Evensong, an evening service of hymns, psalms and prayers laid out by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant archbishop of the Church of England, in 1549.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Scholars have debated the reason for the discrepancy; some scholars note that the Psalms are poetic and have their own internal logic, and others contend that the textual tradition’s list of plagues was initially fluid.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Point spreads and moneylines ran constantly through my head, mingling with the omnipresent Christmas carols to create a strange backbeat to the holiday season.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
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Each year, Music Hall fills with twinkling lights, the sound of nostalgic carols and the joy of thousands of audience members at Holiday Pops.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Canticles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canticles. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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