ad-lib
Example Sentences
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“But not, like, sobbing,” Tina says, in an ad-lib by Colón-Zayas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2025
It has a pantomime theatricality to it, featuring shots of the audience and including moments when the actors corpse - a term used to describe breaking character and laughing - and ad-lib on stage.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2024
“He couldn’t ad-lib some unity?!” asked co-host Joy Reid.
From Salon ● Jul. 16, 2024
The speech isn’t something he can ad-lib or pull from memory, hence the notes, and he’d never use a PowerPoint presentation.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
You’ll feel free to ad-lib in the confidence that you can return to your thread.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Geller, last year’s valedictorian, ad-libbed “millionaires suck” during his commencement address.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Several of the takes which he ad-libbed made it into the film and Delbis is proud of that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
“I was too young to be in the Senate,” he then ad-libbed in a joke, “and too old to be the president.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2024
Instead of pronouncing the prayer, Francis ad-libbed his speech before the statue of the Madonna and skipped the peace prayer entirely, reciting instead a Hail Mary with young disabled people.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2023
“See, because his last name is Gruyère, which is a kind of cheese,” Owen ad-libbed.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
His ad-libbing in the post-kinetic stage isn’t his finest hour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Twelve grown adults, sitting around a table on a Saturday afternoon being silly and ad-libbing as their own cartoonish inventions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2024
“You look like a fallen constellation,” she told the crowd, ad-libbing some poetry.
From New York Times ● Jun. 11, 2023
He points out actors’ performances and ad-libbing, costuming, make-up and visual effects design heightening the humor; and he regrets cutting lots of stuff in scenes due to lack of final run time.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 29, 2023
They talk about their parts, sometimes even ad-libbing lines that are not in the script.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Vocabulary lists containing ad-lib
Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
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Theater - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Drama - Middle School
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