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.
Heritage Month, a new wave of authors is rewriting the script. Christina Fan, CBS News, 14 May 2026 In the past few years, a new wave has taken hold. George Gurley, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026 Pat Irwin, who primarily handles piano and synths but also dips into slide guitar, harmonium, and autoharp, comes from surf rock and new wave, and played with the Raybeats and the B-52’s. Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026 But the following year, as the pandemic wore on and crime rates ticked up, the politics of criminal justice in the city shifted toward law-and-order anxiety, even as new waves of COVID infection struck the jails. Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 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 16 May. 2026.

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