Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use overture in a sentence

17 example sentences · noun, verb, adjective

Overture means an opening; a recess or chamber. Example: “The subtleties of this overture are often overlooked.”

Examples of overture by meaning

nounAn approach or proposal made to initiate communication, establish a relationship etc.

  • overture of friendship
  • In a clear overture to Le Pen's voters, and the extreme-right motto of loving France, he said: "I call on all French people who put love of their country above partisan considerations, to unite and join me."2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the Guardian
  • My mother had no choice; one did not turn down such an overture from the regent.1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 20

nounA medley of themes from a larger work, such as an opera or musical, typically played at the beginning but sometimes...

  • The paradoxical use of an overture at the end of a concert occasionally gave rise to satire in the musical press.2017 April 27, Steven Vande Moortele, The Romantic Overture and Musical Form from Rossini to Wagner, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN...

verbTo make overtures; to approach with a proposal.

  • For a partner setting a table in a game of “house,” an overturing child might assume the role of the father returning home from work at dinnertime rather than overturing by throwing a ball toward the child and yelling “catch.”2012, K.H. Rubin, H.S. Ross, Peer Relationships and Social Skills in Childhood, page 44

More sentences with overture

  • The subtleties of this overture are often overlooked.From the entry subtlety
  • “How's it goin'?” Gadsby ignored this overture, turned away, and readdressed himself to his drink.1953, Uell Stanley Andersen, The Smoldering Sea, page 161. From the entry readdress
  • By this time the theatre had practically filled and the orchestra was tuning up for the overture.1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards…. From the entry tune up
  • Later on, popular kids would compel me to do their homework with overtures of friendship, only to ignore me at recess.2016 October 21, Crystal Chen, “I ‘Went Back to China’ — and Felt More American than Ever”, in Foreign Policy, archived from the original…. From the entry ching-chong
  • His nonstyle is painfully evident when he is less than inspired: the "Faust" overture: empty bombast; the Wesendonck-Lieder: empty sentimentality.2002, John Hargraves, Music in the works of Broch, Mann, and Kafka, page 52. From the entry nonstyle
  • Often the guests, affected by the wine drinking, released all inhibitions and made erotic overtures, particularly to the slave cup-bearers.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 230. From the entry cup-bearer
  • Seventy-three junior highschoolers played two marches and an overture.1926 May 22, “Music Program by Young Folk […]”, in The Enid Morning News, 3 a.m. final edition, 33rd year, Enid, Okla., →OCLC, page 9…. From the entry junior highschooler
  • It felt, at the very least, like a neighbourly overture, and in violent contrast to the opening act at the other end.2025 January 3, Barney Ronay, “Crystal Palace through after Millwall keeper’s red for head-high tackle on Mateta”, in The Guardian. From the entry nip
  • The opening section is clearly written in the French overture style, leading into a lively Allegro ma non troppo where imitative, fanfare-like entries abound.1992, Albert R. Rice, The Baroque Clarinet, →ISBN, page 106. From the entry ma non troppo
  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Canada's own distinctive revolution in democratic political style; the swinger, the all-round athlete: Trudeaumania as overture to the Just Society.1971, "Canada '72—dull and grey, but still very real" (editorial), Globe and Mail (Toronto), 1 Jul, p. 7. From the entry Trudeaumania
  • Nor is there any sign that Corbyn is at present willing to make any overtures to the eight Tiggers and those who may be contemplating joining them.2019 February 25, John Crace, “The Independent Group may have secured another Tory government. That's not an accident”, in British GQ. From the entry Tigger
  • Lately, he has come to dread Sugarʼs overtures of love, for his pego has remained flaccid when he would most wish to have use of it.2002, Michel Faber, The Crimson Petal and the White, Canongate Books (2010), page 758. From the entry pego

Meaning of overture

  1. noun An opening; a recess or chamber.
  2. noun Disclosure; discovery; revelation.
  3. noun An approach or proposal made to initiate communication, establish a relationship etc.

Full definition of overture

Questions about overture in a sentence

How do you use overture in a sentence?
Overture is used as a noun, verb and adjective. For example: “The subtleties of this overture are often overlooked.”
What is a short sentence with overture?
“overture of friendship”
What does overture mean?
Overture means an opening; a recess or chamber.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: overture (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use overture in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/overture. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.