How to Use pliant in a Sentence

pliant

adjective
  • Then serve it with something pliant to soak up the sauce.
    Melissa Clark, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2017
  • The meat was pliant and custard-like, steamed to the texture of trembly silk.
    Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2021
  • The dumplings were soft and pliant on one side and perfectly browned and crisp on the other.
    Mara Severin, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Jan. 2018
  • Standard air springs keep the ride pliant and can raise the ute by up to 1.8 inches or lower it by 2.0.
    Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 15 Jan. 2020
  • The crust is crisp but still pliant; foldable, but not floppy.
    Ian McNulty, NOLA.com, 30 Sep. 2020
  • The pleasure here lies in the riot of textures: raw bite from minced onion, pliant crunch from the cheese shreds that hit the grill, and the deeply juicy filling of beef and cheese.
    Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 12 Dec. 2019
  • All the tough pieces of the leaves of kale are cut away, with the pliant parts then chiffonaded into a fluffy mountain.
    Bethany Jean Clement, The Seattle Times, 29 June 2017
  • In 2018, an even more pliant body, the supreme electoral court, ratified the verdict.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2020
  • Her nutty toffee ice cream, swirled with whole and chopped pecans, is rich and chewy, like pecan pie in a cup, and stays pliant and soft in the freezer for weeks.
    Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 14 Dec. 2020
  • News outlets that for so long had been pliant to Castro could not ignore the outcry.
    Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2024
  • The Super Stretch pants are pliant enough for climbing, with the pockets and seams of everyday pants.
    Ariella Gintzler, Outside Online, 1 June 2018
  • At that rehearsal, the floor of the studio suddenly seemed to feel softer, warmer, more pliant.
    Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2023
  • In the sublime Adagietto, the string sound was glowing and plush; the phrasing urgent yet pliant.
    New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
  • In the worst case, with a sufficiently pliant Congress, Mr. Trump could roll back a decade of progress on climate change.
    Justin Gillis, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2017
  • But even installing a more pliant director may not do him much good.
    vanityfair.com, 11 May 2017
  • It has not been quashed, as claimed by those in the government who seek to bury it and as reported in the pliant Spanish media.
    Time, 21 Oct. 2019
  • Chassis settings are pliant to the point of sometimes feeling soft.
    Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 24 June 2022
  • The testicles feel almost real — the skin is soft and gently wrinkly; the ball itself is firm, but pliant.
    Allison P. Davis, The Cut, 13 May 2018
  • In Normal driving mode, the ride is pliant and comfortable.
    Brian Wong, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2018
  • The fans brought up onstage to learn choreography with Jayne were happy and pliant.
    Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
  • The roasted carrots are cooked to a pliant, mellow sweetness that ricochets off the tart pickles and the crunch of the raw vegetables.
    Jenn Harriscolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2022
  • Now Putin’s aggression would again ring down the Curtain and return to Russia as much of the world as a pliant or weakened West is willing to cede.
    Robert Peterson, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2017
  • The real continuity, though, is the singer's pliant tenor that navigates each mood and style.
    Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2022
  • They're placed atop pliant injera, the sourdough flatbread that's both tasty platter and utensil.
    Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2021
  • The rice was not as long as basmati, nor as short as sticky rice, but a size in between, round through the middle with little adhesion and a firm but pliant texture.
    New York Times, 11 Nov. 2021
  • Some have asked the president for permission to stay on for the rest of their six-year terms, but critics fear the only judges to be granted that permission will be the pliant ones.
    The Economist, 5 July 2018
  • Armiliato’s urgent yet pliant pacing breathed with the singers yet refused to allow rhythms to slacken or the long line to sag.
    John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Oct. 2017
  • The corn tortillas help quesadillas achieve excellence, for once: thick but pliant, not too cheesy, served with limey, oniony, chunky guacamole.
    Bethany Jean Clement, The Seattle Times, 5 May 2017
  • The final result is a pizza with a juicy and slightly slippery topping that is supported by the thick cushion of pliant crust.
    Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, 14 Dec. 2020
  • These tortillas stay pliant and won’t crack or crumble under pressure.
    Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Apr. 2021

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