ad-libbing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the song ends, the band spend several minutes chaotically ad libbing to the crowd as Rosé struggles to tie an errant shoelace.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

Plucking out historical anecdotes, ad libbing some connective tissue, then presenting the result as a constitutional principle “misses the forest for the trees.”

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2024

One brave celebrity shows up each week without a script, trying to keep a straight face while ad libbing alongside Will Arnett’s hilariously vain homicide detective Terry Seattle.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2022

That’s where I got to live tweet, so I got to do a lot of ad libbing to the footage that was showing during the scene.

From Time • Jan. 13, 2015

Think of a favorite pop or gospel tune that, near the end, has the soloist "ad libbing" while the back-up singers repeat the refrain.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones