as in motioned
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
beckoned the bashful child to come closer
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Recent Examples of beckoned
As the minutes ticked by, Avalos was beckoned by advocates to deal with the minutiae of legal immigration.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026
The coaching ladder beckoned onward and upward – assistant gigs with Miami and Rutgers and back to Miami.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
With the Barcelona players about to go up to collect their trophy on the pitch, Alonso beckoned his Madrid players over to form a guard of honour — as Hansi Flick’s side had just done for them.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Returning to White’s home, residents beckoned Lincoln to give a speech from the front porch.
—George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Guido’s red leather booths sat the likes of Frank Sinatra, David Byrne, Tom Selleck and more, with neon signage and red leather booths that beckoned.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
As the start of the Christmas week beckoned, National Weather Service forecasters already were eyeballing the intense rain that was expected to soak the holiday in the Bay Area and Northern California.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
After an eager and flattering fan (Donovan) appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of younger admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
For more than two decades after WWII, the United States beckoned Mexicans to move north to work in American agriculture.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026
The coaching ladder beckoned onward and upward – assistant gigs with Miami and Rutgers and back to Miami.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Jan. 2026
With the Barcelona players about to go up to collect their trophy on the pitch, Alonso beckoned his Madrid players over to form a guard of honour — as Hansi Flick’s side had just done for them.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Returning to White’s home, residents beckoned Lincoln to give a speech from the front porch.
—George Castle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Guido’s red leather booths sat the likes of Frank Sinatra, David Byrne, Tom Selleck and more, with neon signage and red leather booths that beckoned.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
As the start of the Christmas week beckoned, National Weather Service forecasters already were eyeballing the intense rain that was expected to soak the holiday in the Bay Area and Northern California.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
After an eager and flattering fan (Donovan) appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of younger admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
For more than two decades after WWII, the United States beckoned Mexicans to move north to work in American agriculture.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beckoned
Verb
-
As Kupp motioned to the other side of the formation, corner Josh Wallace followed him all the way across, which gave Darnold a major man tell.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Mims motioned from the right slot to outside on the left.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Twin waved at them, and finally the police spotted her hiding in plain sight, standing beside her neighbors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Some attendees waved American or Mexican flags.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor kicked off the ceremony with a brief speech thanking the audience, both in person and those watching the livestream, while providing a preamble that gestured at the ongoing conversations about the role of AI in film.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Carrington made a trey in the second half and gestured at the U bench.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beckoned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beckoned. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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