1
as in works
a literary, musical, or artistic production
the compositions of Michelangelo include the dome of St. Peter's, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and his monumental statue of David
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in layouts
the way in which the elements of something (as a work of art) are arranged
student photographers learn the importance of composition in creating striking images
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in essays
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view
submitted a composition to the local newspaper for its special section marking Martin Luther King Day
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compositions
These ten compositions depend on lights in darkness, most commonly generated by candles, by the moon, or—as in the most famous painting here, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (circa 1767)—by both.
—
Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
The songs are contextualized a little and, among other gentle pleasures, Kole and Galante explore a little of the structural complexity of Bacharach’s constantly shape-shifting music, an outlier among pop compositions and indicative of the composer’s technical genius.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The 2019 Kennedy Center honoree, a protege of the late Leonard Bernstein, was a gifted pianist known for his exuberant compositions and ability to break down musical genres, and in particular, his dynamic interpretations of Gustav Mahler.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The purpose of our taste test was to compare both nutritional compositions and appeal.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 22 Apr. 2026
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
To be sure, Giacometti’s Surrealist compositions had employed absence, subtraction, and ellipsis to stunning effect.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
From soulful melodies to spirited compositions, her voice carried a timeless brilliance.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
The demo will be presented by award-winning artist Rose Irelan, who will demonstrate her palette, compositions, ocean waves and capturing light.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
The songs are contextualized a little and, among other gentle pleasures, Kole and Galante explore a little of the structural complexity of Bacharach’s constantly shape-shifting music, an outlier among pop compositions and indicative of the composer’s technical genius.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The 2019 Kennedy Center honoree, a protege of the late Leonard Bernstein, was a gifted pianist known for his exuberant compositions and ability to break down musical genres, and in particular, his dynamic interpretations of Gustav Mahler.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The purpose of our taste test was to compare both nutritional compositions and appeal.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 22 Apr. 2026
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
To be sure, Giacometti’s Surrealist compositions had employed absence, subtraction, and ellipsis to stunning effect.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
From soulful melodies to spirited compositions, her voice carried a timeless brilliance.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2026
The demo will be presented by award-winning artist Rose Irelan, who will demonstrate her palette, compositions, ocean waves and capturing light.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compositions
Noun
-
The gallery would dedicate its third exhibition to Smith, presenting two monumental works by the artist made in the mid-1960s and early ’70s.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Those are real-life examples of recent scams plaguing the publishing industry that target authors’ wallets and original works.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
News articles and photos of the casual picnic enamored Americans, transforming their view of the royals as rigid and aristocratic to more down-to-earth.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s space to spread out, too, with notably generous layouts and extra-large bathroom vanities.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
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The layouts are designed to highlight the lush surroundings rather than compete with them, with wide terraces, sliding doors, and open-air living spaces that blur the line between indoors and out.—
Alisha Prakash,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is the latest edition of The Critics, our weekly roundup of critical reviews, essays, and conversations.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
By the turn of the 21st century, many newspapers had expanded the role of the op-ed page to their editorial pages, sometimes surrendering space normally reserved for the newspaper’s editorials for essays and letters from contributors and readers.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Roach and Uwazurike each are expected to help fill the gap left by John Franklin-Myers, Denver’s lone high-profile free agency departure, but Sai’Vion Jones and Onyedim are the kinds of pieces the Broncos are betting play key roles at some point in the future.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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The curators Christine Riding and Lucy Bamford have brought together ten canvases that were originally shown in London between 1765 and 1773—the pieces thanks to which, during his mid-thirties, the North Midlands artist first secured a national reputation.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Murphy sorted through a few papers and pulled out a white sheet featuring a grid with boxes highlighted green, yellow or red.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The focal point of Monday's case is the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches of people, their homes, papers, and effects, unless police obtain a warrant issued by a neutral magistrate, and aimed at obtaining specific evidence of a crime.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At several tables set up inside the club, participants worked on different sections of the mural, filling in color over pre-drawn designs — each section representing one of the five honorees.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Coach Todd Bowles’ scheme will alleviate some of Bain’s short-arm concerns because of all the movement of players along the front, with slanting and looping in pressure designs.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some of the original board members are still involved with the museum, but hundreds more joined the effort, some volunteering, others donating surf boards and memorabilia, and many sharing their stories, including famous surfers from Eddie Aikau, Nat Young, Greg Noll and Donald Takayama.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compositions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compositions. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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