segue

American  

[sey-gwey, seg-wey] / ˈseɪ gweɪ, ˈsɛg weɪ /

verb (used without object)

segued, segueing

1. to continue at once with the next musical section or composition (often used as a musical direction).

2. to perform in the manner of the preceding section (used as a musical direction).

3. to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without interruption.

   The conversation segued from travel anecdotes to food.

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noun

1. an uninterrupted transition made between one musical section or composition and another.

2. any smooth, uninterrupted transition from one thing to another.

segue British  

/ ˈsɛɡweɪ /

verb

1. (often foll by into) to proceed from one section or piece of music to another without a break

2. (imperative) play on without pause: a musical direction

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noun

1. the practice or an instance of playing music in this way

Etymology

Origin of segue

First recorded in 1850–55; from Italian: “(it) follows, (there) follows,” 3rd-person singular present of seguire “to follow,” ultimately from Latin sequī; see sue

Explanation

A segue is a smooth transition. When you segue in conversation, you change the topic so smoothly that people might not even notice. A good speaker knows how to segue: they can get from one topic to another so easily that you hardly notice the topic changed. Comedians have the same skill as they segue from one joke to another, and politicians also learn the art of the segue. So do teachers. This is also a term in music for moving from one part of a piece to another. Remember that segue does not sound quite how it looks: it's pronounced "SEG-way."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

segue segued segueing

I remember thinking her diatribe about the injustice of Hester Prynne’s shunning would segue into the cruelties Charles faced with the goal of inspiring someone to defy the blacklist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

It's extremely tempting to write a segue here about Wolf's career having had its own teething troubles – but, in truth, it's been more of a slow burn on a long fuse.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Then, we immediately segue into what sounds like it’s supposed to be a children’s choir.

From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2025

We’re just building … the real talent, the expertise comes in when they build, and it’s also a pivot, like the segue you just did right now to get into this topic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025

“So, I don’t know how to make a good segue here, so I’m just gonna go for this,” he said.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

But it would make a certain amount of sense if “The Bear” simply segued into the next season of “The Pitt.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

I worked for 12 years in narratives and scripted before I segued into documentary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025

But all that momentum for change stalled when, in 1917, the United States entered World War I and then segued to a postwar decade of speculative frenzy.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2025

The show began with a new-agey wash of ocean sounds, that segued seamlessly into her 2024 single, Training Season.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2025

He walked up, made small talk, commented on the beauty of the sunset, and then, gallantly, segued into the beauty of her face.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

“EPiC” follows Presley as he blazes through classics including “Little Sister,” slyly asserting his influence in rock by segueing into the Beatles’ “Get Back.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

When asked about making a film for Netflix, Damon began by discussing the movie’s action sequences, before segueing into a telling detail about the streamer’s model.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026

Maslany, who portrayed the doomed mother in “The Monkey,” brings an edge to Liz from the start, the character’s romantic anxieties segueing into a fear that something in the house is out to kill her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025

He came on stage strumming an acoustic guitar and playing the exquisite melody of The Wind, before segueing to one of his most beloved songs, Moonshadow.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2023

Snow was falling in earnest now—big silent petals drifting through the springtime woods, white bouquets segueing into snowy dark: a nightmarish topsy-turvy land, something from a story book.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• continuation