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Which composer wrote the famous "da da da DUM" motif in his Symphony No. 5?

motif

[moh-teef] / moʊˈtif /


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.

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But the lawsuit sparked an online backlash after Chinese internet users and state media pointed out that the motif shares roots with ancient Chinese traditional patterns.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

As a motif, Metsger said, citrus was associated with innocence, a favorite of bridal portraits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

That’s also why, when “Fjord” opens with soft piano chords playing “Amazing Grace,” it’s safe to assume the song will be an integral motif throughout the film.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Immediately, Cregger establishes a camera that follows closely behind Bryan, a similar motif to the cinematography he used in “Weapons.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

There’s probably a religious motif, though in the foreground something more immediate: money, the release of others jailed in some sinkhole for doing more or less the same thing these men are doing.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Over time—and time is a key ingredient in the “Ring”—familiar motifs return altered in tempo, harmony, color and weight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Yes, you’re getting a glorified ad for a tech company, but this wasn’t going to have the uncanny-valley, human-repelling motifs so common in all the other infomercials for A.I. products.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

"She formulated a philosophy of art she dubbed 'self-obliteration' based on simple motifs of obsessive repetition and proliferation," according to her website.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

More elaborate designs, including hatched bands, grids, and diamond-shaped motifs, also showed evidence of rotation, translation, repetition, and "embedding," i.e., the ability to build hierarchical levels of signs within the same surface.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Etched brass with leaf motifs and plaster swirls above the door.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour


Vocabulary lists containing motif

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