How to Use monotone in a Sentence

monotone

1 of 2 noun
  • She read the story in a dull monotone.
  • She spoke in a monotone voice.
  • He sang in a soft, low monotone.
  • Her eyes flicked over to me, and the monotone switched off.
    Jazmine Hughes, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
  • The judge, in a deep monotone voice, repeated the script.
    Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 19 June 2018
  • The super-wide leg, the monotone wash, the awkward length...hi, Dad.
    Kate Bennett, CNN, 28 June 2017
  • There is a mix of tones and hues throughout the cockpit to help avoid a monotone look.
    G. Chambers Williams Iii, Houston Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2018
  • His critiques were muttered in a rapid-fire monotone out of the side of his mouth.
    Bruce McCall, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2020
  • Brown likens it to a melody that becomes one, long monotone sound.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2021
  • But if my all-black wardrobe didn’t offend them, the somber monotone of my Spanish did.
    Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Shiv delivers one to the press through a low monotone, almost a growl.
    Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 11 Apr. 2023
  • In a low, monotone voice, Gómez Quiñones read through the syllabus with all the enthusiasm of a chair.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2020
  • Tuck a plain white pocket square into the breast pocket for a monotone look.
    Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 19 Aug. 2023
  • A lot of your character's mannerisms — the yo-yo, the constant eating, the monotone voice — aren't in the book.
    Lauren Huff, EW.com, 16 July 2021
  • Slavs do battle with monotone hordes, and then with each other.
    Sophie Pinkham, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2020
  • Our guide had a calming vibe with his monotone voice and slow descriptions of the history of the home.
    David Duran, Country Living, 11 Oct. 2016
  • The crunch of the sesame and seaweed is not only addictive on its own, but works well to dress up any bland monotone meal.
    Zoe Dubno, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2023
  • When the Kens are fighting on the beach the background suddenly changes to a pastel background with the Kens dressed in monotones.
    Time, 21 July 2023
  • Not even a new monotone blonde narrator by the name of Kristin Cavallari could save it.
    Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 24 June 2019
  • Characters read texts aloud in monotone while the camera frames them in doorways and peers at them through glass.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 June 2021
  • Debater spells out its arguments in the placid monotone that is familiar to users of Siri and Alexa.
    Kevin Kelleher, Fortune, 19 June 2018
  • Their black coats and wide-brimmed hats disrupted the beige monotone of the mountainside behind them.
    New York Times, 17 Feb. 2021
  • The first is a black monotone look with either gray or red contrast stitching, and the second is a black and Sevilla Red two-tone scheme.
    Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 6 July 2021
  • Without contrast, a monotone space can take on a boring, flat look.
    Amanda Smith, ELLE Decor, 17 Apr. 2018
  • His voice remained monotone; his speech soft and bereft of inflection points.
    Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press, 24 Nov. 2019
  • Although the aluminum trim added a sporty touch and the plastics were soft, the monotone interior looked plain.
    Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 27 June 2017
  • The road-hazard orange of a blood star leaps from its monotone environs.
    Clark Fair, Alaska Dispatch News, 8 July 2017
  • In place of his previous monotones are color blocking, bold stripes and a clash of florals and plaids.
    Alexandra Marshall, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Simplifying things even more is the monotone color scheme.
    Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 1 Mar. 2023
  • DeSantis, on the other hand, spoke robotically and in a deadly monotone.
    Adam Hanft, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024
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monotone

2 of 2 adjective
  • Many of the looks were monotone, but floral motifs were a main driver.
    Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Princess Kate's fall wardrobe is proving that monochrome doesn't have to be so monotone.
    Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 3 Nov. 2022
  • The whirling sound of the hair dryer felt soothing, its monotone hum putting me in a calm, meditative state.
    Andrea Aliseda, Harper's BAZAAR, 28 Sep. 2022
  • As with any color, don’t go monotone with your monochrome.
    Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2022
  • Talking too long or in a monotone voice will cause the interviewer’s mind to wander.
    Robin Ryan, Forbes, 12 July 2022
  • The director alleged that Crowe read every line in a monotone voice and never looked up from the script to make eye contact with Julia Roberts.
    Vulture, 15 Oct. 2022
  • Talking too long, or in a monotone voice will surely cause the interviewer’s mind to wander.
    Robin Ryan, Forbes, 18 May 2021
  • McKinney did not speak in court other than to answer Judge Jeffrey Holmes’ questions in a monotone voice.
    Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2020
  • Teammates smacked his helmet in celebration and fans showered him with cheers, yet the noise all blurred into a slow, monotone hum.
    Jesse Dougherty, chicagotribune.com, 3 July 2018
  • The clean, crisp and monotone interior practically looks brand new, in a tannish, light brown hue.
    Houston Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2018
  • One message, only a few seconds long, delivers the message in a monotone, robotic voice.
    Jack Gillum, ProPublica, 3 Nov. 2020
  • But the internet fell in love with Larry — the soft, steady, monotone narrator of the middle-of-the-night tsunami scare that sent hundreds of Alaskans evacuating for higher ground.
    Tegan Hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Jan. 2018
  • The ready-to-wear palate was rigorously monotone, in strong shades including tangerine, lavender, teal and black.
    Colleen Barry, Star Tribune, 24 Feb. 2021
  • Between the mix of monotone suits and emblazoned Gucci accessories lies a sense of control that is in some ways otherworldly.
    Kimberly Aleah, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2022
  • While Hathaway’s outfit included sky-high platforms and a glittery frock, the ensemble carried a monotone ease.
    Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 20 Dec. 2022
  • Reading verbatim tends to flatten the vocal inflection and produce a monotone voice.
    Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 3 May 2022
  • Contrasting colors are often a better choice than a monotone design.
    Monika Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2021
  • While the exterior is very monotone, there's a splash of color inside, where the theme of simplification continues.
    Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 13 Aug. 2021
  • Right-hander Zac Gallen, speaking in his dry, monotone voice on Sunday afternoon, sounded like a pitcher coming off a rough performance.
    Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 8 May 2022
  • Springsteen's voice starts off weary, nearly monotone, then slowly lifted by a wall of sound (guitars, organ, sax, drums, glockenspiel, bass, keyboards) culminating in the finest woo-oah's!
    Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 27 June 2022
  • Standing can often give you more energy, and an enthusiastic voice will sound better on the phone versus answering questions in a monotone style.
    Chron, 3 Sep. 2021
  • As the losses piled up, the monotone Stefanski inspired little confidence.
    Terry Pluto, cleveland, 14 Jan. 2023
  • For Holland there's an appreciation for nature, even its monotone whiteness, where the only sounds are wind and an occasional seagull.
    Arkansas Online, 4 Feb. 2022
  • The device originally featured a monotone, robotic voice.
    Staff Writer follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2022
  • Jenna Ortega stars as the titular character, in an expert performance riddled with monotone one-liners and spine-tingling stares.
    Leah Campano, Seventeen, 7 Dec. 2022
  • The artist, who died in 1987, was a master of his own cult of personality, and the robot was practically a manifestation of how the world perceived him: meticulously crafted, if a bit rigid and monotone in his conversational style.
    Angela Watercutter, Wired, 9 Mar. 2022
  • Even McCarthy clowned him by imitating the eldest Kardashian’s famously monotone voice.
    Rachel Yang, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2020
  • The Brazilian President's speech was calmly given, even monotone at times, opening with a numbing sales pitch of his country to investors that touted developments in sanitation and transportation services.
    Caitlin Hu, CNN, 21 Sep. 2021
  • Hands in his sweatshirt’s pocket, his voice nearly monotone, coach Tyronn Lue rattled off the same themes that have doomed so many losses: inconsistent transition play, anemic rebounding, an absence of physicality.
    Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2022
  • Originally on National Geographic, this offers stunning visuals and lush writing but does get a bit monotone.
    Mike Hughes, The Enquirer, 24 Sep. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'monotone.' 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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