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.

There are creaky sections with various bits of percussion and tapped string overtones conveying an otherworldly Harry Partch-like texture, the sort of junkyard orchestra that inspired Tom Waits in the 1980s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Waits were still hours long on Saturday as a busy spring break season collided with TSA workers waiting for backpay from the partial government shutdown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Cult of the Lamb is a quirky 2022 release featuring cute cartoon animals the player must turn into loyal followers of an entity known as The One Who Waits.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2024

My favorite artist of all time when I was really young was Tom Waits.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2024

They tended to resemble Tom Waits, or maybe it was the other way around.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides