undulate

adjective

Save Word

un·du·late | \ ˈən-jə-lət

, ˈən-dyə-

, ˈən-də-, -ˌlāt

variants: or undulated \ ˈən-jə-ˌlā-təd

, ˈən-dyə- , ˈən-də- \

Definition of undulate

(Entry 1 of 2)

: having a wavy surface, edge, or markings the undulate margin of a leaf

undulate

verb

un·du·late | \ ˈən-jə-ˌlāt

, ˈən-dyə-, ˈən-də- \

undulated; undulating

Definition of undulate (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate

2 : to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence

3 : to present a wavy appearance

transitive verb

: to cause to move in a wavy, sinuous, or flowing manner

Choose the Right Synonym Make Waves With the History of Undulate Example Sentences Learn More About undulate

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Choose the Right Synonym for undulate

Verb

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

Make Waves With the History of Undulate

Verb

Undulate and "inundate" are word cousins, sharing "unda," the Latin word for "wave," as their common ancestor. No surprise there. But would you have guessed that "abound," "surround," and "redound" are also "unda" offspring? The connection between "unda" and these words is easier to see when you learn that at some point in their early histories each of them essentially had the meaning of "to overflow"-a meaning that "inundate" still carries, along with its "overwhelm" sense.

Examples of undulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Two weeks ago, as the landslide hit unprecedented speed, causing the ground around it to undulate with each passing truck, the team conceded defeat and closed the back half of the park weeks earlier than anticipated. — Time, 7 Sep. 2021 Visitors tour through a history of the 19th-century painter's famously dramatic life and are surrounded by more then 300 of his paintings and sketches, which animate and undulate and drift around on all sides. — Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 27 July 2021 Their five-centimeter-thick quadruped was able to crawl and undulate its way through a space just two centimeters high. — Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American, 30 Nov. 2011 Blades of strikingly green grass undulate in the currents. — Shane Gross; Text By Katherine Harmon Courage, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2020 Like the patterns in marbled paper, the word frequencies undulate, soaring and plunging as a function of time to track the way science talked about itself to itself. — Moritz Stefaner, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2020 And sub-glacial drainage valleys tend to meet at angles closer to 90 degrees and undulate up and down—driven by high water pressure under a glacier. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, 5 Aug. 2020 When threatened, these wide-eyed critters will hiss and clasp their paws atop their heads, undulate like snakes, and suck up a mouthful of venom from glands in their armpits. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Feb. 2020 When their virtual snake couldn't undulate in the air, its body would fall. — Fox News, 29 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'undulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.