new wave

noun

variants often New Wave
Synonyms of new wavenext
1
: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques
2
: a new movement in a particular field
3
: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics
4
: dernier cri
especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous
new-wave
ˈnü-ˈwāv How to pronounce new wave (audio)
ˈnyü-
-ˌwāv
adjective
new waver noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The data show that there has been a new wave of people starting and advancing through the permitting process, but a widening lag after that point because of, among other reasons, financing. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 New York’s uptown rap scene began cross-pollenating with the downtown new wave groups, and in 1981 Bambaata was invited by graffiti artist and scenester Fab Five Freddy to perform at venues like the Mudd Club and the Ritz. Jem Aswad, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026 Tang says a new wave of demand for renewable energy would sift out clean-tech winners, after years of hyper-growth drove down prices to levels at which some companies could no longer compete. Ishika Mookerjee, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026 Eeva Mägi returns to Cannes with Mo Hunt, following her earlier participation with Mo Papa and Mo Amor, continuing the ‘Mo’ movement – an exciting new wave in Estonian cinema that challenges conventions. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for new wave

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of new wave was in 1960

Cite this Entry

“New wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20wave. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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