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tongue twister
noun
: a word, phrase, or sentence difficult to articulate because of a succession of similar consonantal sounds (as in "twin-screw steel cruiser")
Examples of tongue twister in a Sentence
Her last name is a real tongue twister.
Recent Examples on the Web
In one clip, Cooke can be seen doing push-ups in his dressing room, while Radke recited Ron Burgundy's eclectic tongue twisters from Anchorman into his mirror in another.
—EW.com, 14 Feb. 2024
After struggling to conquer the tongue twister for Oliver Putnam’s (played by Martin Short) Broadway show, Death Rattle Dazzle, Martin’s Charles-Haden Savage finally performs the song in all its tempo-dipping, word-spinning glory.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2023
But alliteration isn't all about tongue twisters – it's often used in marketing or naming to create a catchy, memorable slogan.
—USA TODAY, 9 June 2023
This set comes with cards that challenge and teach little ones through picture puzzles, math problems, tongue twisters, mazes, vocabulary games, and more.
—Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 13 Mar. 2023
The tongue twister about dual-use implies that though AI might originally be devised in an AI For Good aspirational mindset, there is a solid chance that the very same AI can be readily adjusted to land into the dreary and unsettling AI For Bad camp.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
During the NBA Draft on Thursday, ESPN commentator Kendrick Perkins unintentionally invented a new tongue twister after struggling on-air to pronounce the name of Golden State Warriors' No. 14 pick, Moses Moody, reports Mediaite.
—Brigid Kennedy, The Week, 30 July 2021
Critics complain that the constant doubling up of genders turns each phrase into a potential tongue twister and stymies the natural flow of speech and prose.
—New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022
Try a tongue twister challenge today with your parents or a friend.
—Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2022
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Word History
First Known Use
1904, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Tongue twister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tongue%20twister. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
tongue twister
noun
: a word, phrase, or sentence that is hard to say because of a series of similar consonant sounds (as in "twin-screw steel cruiser" or "rubber baby-buggy bumpers")
More from Merriam-Webster on tongue twister
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tongue twister
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