oscillate

verb

os·cil·late ˈä-sə-ˌlāt

oscillated; oscillating

Synonyms of oscillate next

intransitive verb

: to swing backward and forward like a pendulum

The fan was oscillating.

: to move or travel back and forth between two points

he oscillates regularly between his comfortable home … and his downtown office-laboratory—

Gladwin Hill

: to vary between opposing beliefs, feelings, or theories

The mood of the voters has oscillated between optimism and pessimism.

: to vary above and below a mean value

Bank rate oscillates between 2 and 6 percent.

oscillatory

ˈä-sə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē

adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for oscillate

swing, sway, oscillate, vibrate, fluctuate, waver, undulate mean to move from one direction to its opposite.

swing implies a movement of something attached at one end or one side.

the door suddenly swung open

sway implies a slow swinging or teetering movement.

trees swaying in the breeze

oscillate stresses a usually regular alternation of direction.

an oscillating fan

vibrate suggests the rapid oscillation of an elastic body under stress or impact.

the vibrating strings of a piano

fluctuate suggests constant irregular changes of level, intensity, or value.

fluctuating interest rates

waver stresses irregular motion suggestive of reeling or tottering.

the exhausted runner wavered before collapsing

undulate suggests a gentle wavelike motion.

an undulating sea of grass

Examples of oscillate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The show takes on the poetic morass of feelings parents and children have for each other while oscillating between two challenging registers. —

Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 When this happens, the light waves oscillate along a preferred direction instead of randomly. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Sep. 2023 As sea ice steadily declined in the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice has oscillated between record highs and lows over previous decades. —

Jacob Turcotte, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023 The rate stabilized thereafter despite the increasing availability and effectiveness of guns, oscillating around that homeostatic equilibrium, a self-regulating process that maintains its stability while adjusting to changing outside conditions. —

Theodore Modis, Scientific American, 28 Aug. 2023 And the fan oscillates up to 85 degrees and has 12 speeds that can cool off big areas, including your living room and bedroom. —

Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 2 July 2023 Whether campus is in Florida or Alaska, a good oscillating fan makes a stuffy room more comfortable. —

Lisa Lombardi, wsj.com, 15 Sep. 2023 As the patients listened, the researchers recorded the oscillating electrical potentials from each on-brain electrode. —

IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2023 That’s why El Conde never ceases to oscillate between fascination and repulsion. —

Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oscillate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.