refrain

noun

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

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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 If Khrzhanovsky’s goal was re-creating social and cultural conditions to capture drama at its purest, then the result merely proves Hitchcock’s refrain that drama is life with dull bits cut out. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 And his demand for answers has become a familiar refrain to anyone who’s followed the attorney’s rise to fame. — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Trump has a keen understanding of an entrance, a refrain, a music cue, and, perhaps above all, an audience. — Erik Forrest Jackson, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026 Bookended by drone shots of the Macedonian countryside and a somber cello refrain by Novogradska, this 86-minute doc is otherwise composed of scoreless interviews with subjects seated in front of black curtains and captured in medium range. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for refrain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refrain
chorus
Noun
  • Another chorus of thoughts and prayers Members of the Bend community gathered downtown in Drake Park on Thursday evening for a prayer vigil to support each other and grieve.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Trump, however, has since changed his tune, amid a chorus of negative feedback.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of chorus

Phrases Containing refrain

Browse Nearby Words

refractory
refrain
refrained (from)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Refrain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refrain. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on refrain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about refrain

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