Definition of oscillationnext
1
as in fluctuation
the frequent and usually sudden passing from one condition to another fickle springtime weather in which there seemed to be an unceasing oscillation between unseasonable heat and unseasonable cold

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2
as in vibration
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side the precise oscillations of the quartz crystal that allows a quartz watch to keep such accurate time

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of oscillation Rapid oscillations trigger muscle contractions that can indirectly support lymph movement. Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 When two black holes collide, their song ripples through the very fabric of existence, creating a thundering chorus of oscillations in spacetime that echo across the universe like the fading gong of a bell. Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 26 June 2026 China’s Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) launched in 2025; initial data published in June 2026 provided the most precise measurements of neutrino oscillation reported to date. Simon Frantz, Quanta Magazine, 24 June 2026 Dyson Air Purifier and Fan Deals Quiet yet powerful, the Dyson AM07 tower fan offers 10 precise airflow settings and 70-degree oscillation to keep you cool in hot weather. Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for oscillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oscillation
Noun
  • Sleep, diet and other factors can cause regular fluctuations for men.
    Kathleen Felton, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Their strength has always been their ability to think beyond election cycles, market fluctuations, technological fads, and the crises of the moment.
    David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • This buffering is especially useful when the unit is wall-mounted and exposed to occasional knocks or vibration.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2026
  • When a robot’s foot strikes the ground, part of the impact energy is normally lost as heat and vibration.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Transforming a military barracks into a luxury hotel isn’t an easy task, particularly when the building, dating from 1699, is so historic that structural changes are forbidden.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • When brand new entry-level telescopes start at a few hundred dollars, the idea of getting anything decent for pocket change sounds like a pipe dream.
    Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.
    Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
  • During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.
    Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But Tuesday’s shaking, which toppled shelves and hurled computers to the floor, was worse in Yatsushiro than anything Matsushita experienced a decade ago.
    USA Today, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • During the many scenes of roiling seas and inevitable shipwrecks, the shaking met the action appropriately.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • All the trembling, as Kimbangu touched the sick, alarmed European settlers and reassured the plantation workers who trekked to Nkamba in search of healing.
    Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • At first this change of scale vivifies the butterfly—its brief stillness, the angle of its wings, its trembling—while freezing everything else, including the novel’s action.
    Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Oscillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oscillation. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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