1
: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually recurring pattern of meter and rhyme : strophe
2
sports
: a period (such as a half or an inning) into which the duration of a game is divided
The game's prime moment wasn't the decisive and popular eighth-inning, two-run homer by Mark Bellhorn … but a sensational play by Boston's Manny Ramirez in the top of that same stanza.—
Roger Angell
Roger AngellExamples of stanza in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An anthology of first memories, a meditation on decomposition, spinning constellations—every stanza grapples with change on a private or galactic scale.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
With the season’s opening stanza in the books, here’s a look at what’s been learned about the Broncos so far, what questions remain unanswered and what’s ahead.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
As the final seconds bled away in the opening stanza, Wood dropped back to pass.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The Warriors entered the period trailing by 19 and scored 51 points in the final stanza to win.
—Nick Friedell, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
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Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
With the season’s opening stanza in the books, here’s a look at what’s been learned about the Broncos so far, what questions remain unanswered and what’s ahead.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
As the final seconds bled away in the opening stanza, Wood dropped back to pass.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The Warriors entered the period trailing by 19 and scored 51 points in the final stanza to win.
—Nick Friedell, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stanza
Cite this Entry
“Stanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stanza. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stanza
noun
stan·za
ˈstan-zə 
: a division of a poem consisting of a series of lines arranged together in a usually repeating pattern of rhythm and rhyme
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