nodded; nodding
1
: to make a quick downward motion of the head whether deliberately (as in expressing assent or salutation) or involuntarily (as from drowsiness)
She nodded in agreement.
The guard nodded to us as we walked in.
He sat nodding by the fire.
2
: to incline or sway from the vertical as though ready to fall
signposts nodding in the wind
3
: to bend or sway the upper part gently downward or forward : bob gently
the plumes that nodded on his helmet
nodding flowers on long stems
4
: to make a slip or error in a moment of abstraction
… Fuentes nods, and his language then falls into … an overly learned mumbo-jumbo that stops the drama of his action.—
Robert Maurer
Robert Maurer1
: to incline downward or forward
nodded his head in agreement
2
: to bring, invite, or send by a nod
nodded us in
3
: to signify by a nod
nodded their approval
nodder
noun
1
: the act or an instance of nodding
gave a nod of greeting
2
: an indication especially of approval or recognition
Examples of nod in a Sentence
Verb
She nodded when I asked her if she was ready.
I asked her if she could hear me, and she nodded her head.
“The bathroom is around the corner,” he said, nodding to the left.
She nodded toward the dirty dishes and said she would get to them later.
Recent Examples on the WebTIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Foster has received many accolades over the years, including 16 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy and three Oscar nods for best original song.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
The company won 21 Academy Awards out of 86 nominations, and 18 Emmy nods across five television series.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
The result, Gatwa hopes, is a sartorial spread that nods to the Doctor’s varied roots.
—EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
Along with the music, the show included seven outfit changes and three different hairstyles, with Carey nodding to her fabulous attire during the night.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
In recent years, though, there’s been a shift in game adaptations, with projects like The Last of Us and Werewolves Within achieving critical acclaim and—in the case of the former, at least—a boatload of awards nods.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
Re-wearing clothes has been one of Dr. Biden’s signatures, part of the conversation around sustainability, which nods to her husband’s climate policies (not to mention the economic realities of the country).
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
This is the couple’s second James Beard nod after earning a spot last year as semifinalists for Best Chefs: Great Lakes.
—Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
This is a Chicago-style Prohibition drink that includes nods to Tom’s background as well as the tastes of gangsters like Capone.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
And in December, the company was reportedly working with its major iPad assembler, China’s BYD, to move its production resources to Vietnam, another nod to the country’s growing significance to the tech giant.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
Afterwards, Deadpool mentioned that Logan probably would have saved the man, and proceeded to speak in an Australian accent, a nod to Jackman’s natural speaking voice.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Dads will love this subtle yet stylish palmetto polo, a nod to the state flag of South Carolina.
—Lauren Finney Harden, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
But their law firms said no, a nod to the fact that the nation’s most prominent white-collar practices have no interest in taking on such a controversial and combative client as Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Along with beautiful spring flowers and mossy decorations, the cake gives a special nod to PEOPLE’s extensive royal coverage: one of the Queen’s corgis stands at the foot of the cake.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The outlet reported that Fanning named the animal Goldie, a nod to Russell's longtime partner Goldie Hawn.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
Now the Rest of Us Are Too While Galliano may be effectively nodding to the 1990s to reinvigorate his own career, his return to these themes continues his critique of the globalization of fashion.
—TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Foster has received many accolades over the years, including 16 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy and three Oscar nods for best original song.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
The company won 21 Academy Awards out of 86 nominations, and 18 Emmy nods across five television series.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
The result, Gatwa hopes, is a sartorial spread that nods to the Doctor’s varied roots.
—EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
Along with the music, the show included seven outfit changes and three different hairstyles, with Carey nodding to her fabulous attire during the night.
—Mark Gray, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
In recent years, though, there’s been a shift in game adaptations, with projects like The Last of Us and Werewolves Within achieving critical acclaim and—in the case of the former, at least—a boatload of awards nods.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024
Re-wearing clothes has been one of Dr. Biden’s signatures, part of the conversation around sustainability, which nods to her husband’s climate policies (not to mention the economic realities of the country).
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
This is the couple’s second James Beard nod after earning a spot last year as semifinalists for Best Chefs: Great Lakes.
—Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
While on a visit to Washington last week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will gift 250 cherry trees as replacements, a nod to Japan's original cherry tree gift 112 years ago.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
This is a Chicago-style Prohibition drink that includes nods to Tom’s background as well as the tastes of gangsters like Capone.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
And in December, the company was reportedly working with its major iPad assembler, China’s BYD, to move its production resources to Vietnam, another nod to the country’s growing significance to the tech giant.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024
Afterwards, Deadpool mentioned that Logan probably would have saved the man, and proceeded to speak in an Australian accent, a nod to Jackman’s natural speaking voice.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
Dads will love this subtle yet stylish palmetto polo, a nod to the state flag of South Carolina.
—Lauren Finney Harden, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
But their law firms said no, a nod to the fact that the nation’s most prominent white-collar practices have no interest in taking on such a controversial and combative client as Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Along with beautiful spring flowers and mossy decorations, the cake gives a special nod to PEOPLE’s extensive royal coverage: one of the Queen’s corgis stands at the foot of the cake.
—Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The outlet reported that Fanning named the animal Goldie, a nod to Russell's longtime partner Goldie Hawn.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nod.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nod
Cite this Entry
“Nod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nod. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nod
1 of 2 verb
nodded; nodding
1
: to bend the head downward or forward (as in bowing or going to sleep or as a way of answering "yes")
2
: to move up and down
the tulips nodded in the breeze
3
: to show by a nod of the head
nod agreement
4
: to let one's attention roam for a moment and make an error
nodder
noun
nod
2 of 2 noun
: the action of nodding
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