How to Use tonal in a Sentence

tonal

adjective
Definition of tonalnext
Synonyms for tonalnext
  • It’s not the first time this month that the Marry Me star has done the tonal thing.
    — Barry Samaha, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Dec. 2020
  • The main title acts as a tonal seed to the lethal outbreak.
    — Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023
  • There’s not a lot of plot; there are so many weird tonal shifts and spoofs.
    — Nolan Feeney, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2021
  • The wild tonal shifts leave the viewer in the dust, and not even the two stars are able to make any of it work.
    — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 July 2024
  • But the tonal shift of the new era has nonetheless been set.
    — Yi-Ling Liu, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
  • The masks become the earth, the body the sprouts, the tonal explosion, rebirth.
    — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 28 Feb. 2021
  • What is unexpected is the tonal shift in the last part of the movie.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 21 Oct. 2020
  • The project has been described as being a tonal mix of Ready or Not and The Raid.
    — Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Aug. 2024
  • His portraits have a rich tonal range, from the whitest white to grays to the blackest black.
    — Redeat Wondemu, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2021
  • The tonal look—in cozy shades of brown and camel—was easy and put-together.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2021
  • There's such a tonal shift from Pin-Jui's flashbacks and his present.
    — Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2020
  • Why give us such a tonal shift just as the series is coming to a close?
    — Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2022
  • The film strikes a tonal balance thanks to the on-screen chemistry between Sasha and Paul.
    — Savina Petkova, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
  • The tonal shifts might be too much for some viewers sucked in by a poster and trailer that dwell on the chase.
    — Mark Kennedy, Detroit Free Press, 30 July 2021
  • How to get the look: Paper lanterns, bistro tables, tonal green paint.
    — Sean Santiago, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023
  • The black leather straps with tonal hardware make these easy to wear with anything.
    — Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 14 July 2023
  • Even in the small preview seen here, the tonal shift in Williams’s Givenchy is evident.
    — Steff Yotka, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2021
  • Plus, a tonal faux-fur lining adds to the sleek look and will keep you even warmer on blustery days.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 6 Sep. 2024
  • So that informed the aesthetic and tonal choices of the show.
    — Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2022
  • The wallpaper-esque print could have been pulled from a house in the ’70s, too, with its tonal brown and cream squares.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 May 2021
  • The tonal flavor is softer, but the bright smiles of the concierge reflect the white edifice.
    — Michael Alpiner, Forbes, 10 May 2021
  • Oh Breathe new life into tonal outfits by adding a pop of white.
    — Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2023
  • The director, Ciarán O’Reilly, keeps a smooth hand on the tiller, guiding the cast through the show’s roller coaster of tonal shifts.
    — Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022
  • The direction for the overall stylistic and tonal approach came from the script.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 16 Sep. 2022
  • The rugged, tonal look embraces used objects that might have scratches and been found at an antique store on the side of the road.
    — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 23 Aug. 2021
  • The tonal whiplash in Mr. Fieri’s company can be dizzying.
    — New York Times, 23 May 2022
  • The telecast should spotlight one of the film’s abrupt tonal shifts without spoiling the fallout.
    — Chris Feil, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2021
  • The lighter touch of her new film, Showing Up, marks something of a tonal departure.
    — Vikram Murthi, The New Republic, 12 Apr. 2023
  • In the case of a harp, all 36 strings are vibrating at the same time and producing this synergetic tonal event.
    — Sean Illing, Vox, 11 Oct. 2024
  • Bordeaux wine has emerged as a must-have color in footwear this season, complemented by rich tonal browns and subtle touches of olive green.
    — Sandra Salibian, WWD, 7 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tonal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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