tour de force

noun

plural tours de force ˌtu̇r-də-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce tour de force (audio)
: a feat or display of strength, skill, or ingenuity
the movie is a comic tour de force

Examples of tour de force in a Sentence

The book is a tour de force. Her performance in the play was a real tour de force.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back in 2017, their press tour for Spider-Man: Homecoming was a flirtatious tour de force: Zendaya always doubled over in laughter, Tom comforting an anxious Zendaya with a gentle hand on her knee, both of them constantly pulling the same silly face or one-liner out at the same exact time. Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2025 But what a joy to see this singular comedic talent become the toast of Broadway, thanks to their tour de force as a boozy, stagestruck Mary Todd Lincoln. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 In her recent tour de force of how the ocean works, The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski argues that that perspective couldn’t be more wrong. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 29 Nov. 2024 Shōgun is a stunning tour de force that was rewarded at the 2024 Emmys, scoring a record 18 wins including Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Drama Actor for Sanada, and Lead Drama Actress for Anna Sawai, who made history as the first actress of Asian descent to win her category. refinery29.com, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tour de force 

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tour de force was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near tour de force

Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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