1
a
: a pleasing succession of musical tones : melody
b
: a dominant theme
2
: correct musical pitch or consonance
—used chiefly in the phrases in tune and out of tune
3
5
a
: manner of utterance : intonation
specifically
: phonetic modulation
b
archaic
: quality of sound : tone
tuned; tuning
1
: to adjust in musical pitch or cause to be in tune
tuned her guitar
2
a
: to bring into harmony : attune
b
: to adjust for precise functioning
—often used with up
tune up an engine
c
: to make more precise, intense, or effective
3
: to adjust with respect to resonance at a particular frequency: such as
a
: to adjust (a radio or television receiver) to respond to waves of a particular frequency
—often used with in
b
: to establish radio contact with
tune in a directional beacon
4
: to adjust the frequency of the output of (a device) to a chosen frequency or range of frequencies
also
: to alter the frequency of (radiation)
1
: to become attuned
2
: to adjust a radio or television receiver to respond to waves of a particular frequency
Examples of tune in a Sentence
Noun
hummed a little tune while I sorted the laundry
your negative assessment of the restaurant seems to be in tune with the opinions of the critics
Verb
The piano needs to be tuned.
We tuned our bikes before the road trip.
The mechanic tuned the engine.
The copilot tuned the radio to hear the message.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
Trump has changed his tune on Vladimir Putin as the clock ticks on his vow to stop the costly war between Russia and Ukraine.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2025
Windsor Johnston, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025
How to Watch the 2025 Super Bowl Football fans can tune into the action on Fox for traditional TV watching.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tune 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Trump changing his tune after the election is hardly unique — as many of his predecessors have recast their foreign policies over time.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
Trump has changed his tune on Vladimir Putin as the clock ticks on his vow to stop the costly war between Russia and Ukraine.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
Millions of Americans will be tuning into the Super Bowl this weekend to watch the Philadelphia Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.
—Windsor Johnston, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025
How to Watch the 2025 Super Bowl Football fans can tune into the action on Fox for traditional TV watching.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tune
Dictionary Entries Near tune
Cite this Entry
“Tune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tune. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tune
1 of 2 noun1
: a succession of pleasing musical tones : melody
2
: correct musical pitch or consonance
the piano was not in tune
3
: agreement sense 1b, harmony
in tune with the times
4
: general attitude
changed their tune after reading the report
tune
2 of 2 verb
tuned; tuning
1
: to adjust in musical pitch
tuned my guitar
the orchestra was tuning up
2
: to come or bring into harmony
3
: to adjust a radio or television so that it receives clearly
—often used with in
4
: to put (as an engine) in good working order
—often used with up
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