refrain

Definition of refrainnext
as in chorus
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

Relevance

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 refrain But beyond pay and working conditions, protections for non-citizen workers and fans was another common refrain among union representatives and community advocates. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026 This was a common refrain from many homeless people who say they were evicted from short-term shelter at a time taxpayers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get them into shelter, stabilize them and move them to permanent housing. Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 Rugged, confident Ben is manhood incarnate to Willy, who, in his saddest refrain, clings to the threadbare promise of personality like a bit of broken mast in a storm. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 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 See All Example Sentences for refrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refrain
chorus
Noun
  • More ordinary Russians are starting to speak out, in a rare chorus of dissent.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Even its final bars of Gregorian chanting, one of many bells and whistles stuffed between the mawkish choruses, can’t lift this track out of the morass.
    Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refrain. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on refrain

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster