as in poetry
verse that does not rhyme and does not have a regular rhythm
The author's free verse has a unique rhythmic intensity.
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Recent Examples of free verse
Rhyming poems, like Reed’s, have fallen out of style this century in favor of free verse.
—
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2024
Like family feuds, squabbles among poets are too tedious to recount, but Wiman remembers being accused of commissioning too much prose, of privileging formalism over free verse, and of publishing vicious reviews and vacuous poetry.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
The book, first published in 1927, is organized according to the calendar, with a passage of free verse that evokes the qualities and pleasures of each month, a small monochrome drawing nearby, and, on the facing page, a full-color illustration of the sort to draw fascinated attention.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
His sentences come out as free verse, a sort of Rust Belt beat poetry.
—Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for free verse
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2024
Like family feuds, squabbles among poets are too tedious to recount, but Wiman remembers being accused of commissioning too much prose, of privileging formalism over free verse, and of publishing vicious reviews and vacuous poetry.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023
The book, first published in 1927, is organized according to the calendar, with a passage of free verse that evokes the qualities and pleasures of each month, a small monochrome drawing nearby, and, on the facing page, a full-color illustration of the sort to draw fascinated attention.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023
His sentences come out as free verse, a sort of Rust Belt beat poetry.
—Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for free verse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free verse
Noun
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Here’s a special selection of fantastic novels from Kenyan authors representing fresh perspectives on the human condition across poetry, fiction and nonfiction.—
Wanjeri Gakuru
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
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Coal miners have a long tradition creating poetry and music related to their job, settlement officials said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The poem was written before Gelman’s own son and pregnant daughter-in-law were kidnapped in the Dirty War.—
Julia M. Klein,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
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Based on the epic poem, the story follows Odysseus (played by Damon), King of Ithaca, on his dangerous journey home after the Trojan War.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
7 July 2025
Noun
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In between some more lusty lyrics for his wife, Swag includes some choice samples from a recent viral video of him confronting a swath of paparazzi who were stalking him.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
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Those aren’t the saddest lyrics in the world, right?—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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But Kantor wrote it in blank verse — little help for the script.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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Onto the page spilled more than ten thousand lines of the richest and most resourceful blank verse in the English language, arranged into ten books in 1667, then rearranged into twelve in 1674.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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His real gift was language: puns, rhymes, clever wordplay, and memorable turns of phrase.—
Sam Kelly
July 8,
Literary Hub,
8 July 2025
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Public Enemy has new rhymes designed to fill your mind.—
Anna Chan,
Billboard,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The song, which was a lead single from her 2024 Grammy-winning album Cowboy Carter, tells the story of Beyoncé's adolescence in the spotlight, and its place in her family's legacy.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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For now, those Swifties will just have to be content with Kelce singing a song with his brother and podcast co-host, Jason.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Free verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20verse. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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