word order

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.

These include word order preferences, such as whether verbs come before or after objects, and hierarchical structures, such as how grammatical relationships are marked within sentences.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

The literary term “anastrophe” refers to the technique of reversing word order in a sentence for effect.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Nordlinger and Kidd suspect that when someone speaks a language that has a truly free word order, they are under pressure to swiftly make decisions about the sentence they will say.

From Scientific American • Oct. 18, 2023

There are various accents and dialects, but the most famous variant may be Yoda’s, which changes the word order of Galactic Basic Standard.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2019

As we’ll see, a writer must constantly reconcile the two sides of word order: a code for information, and a sequence of mental events.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker