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fanning

verb

present participle of fan
1
as in igniting

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2
as in oscillating

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanning
  1. igniting
  2. oscillating
  3. inflaming
  4. swaying
  5. triggering
  6. waving
  7. kindling
  8. flicking
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Silverman searched for more victims inside the helicopter, which had burst into flames, and in the surrounding parked cars, igniting because the helicopter’s jet fuel leaked.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Three people were killed and one person was hospitalized after the helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings, igniting on fire instantly, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
    — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of igniting
Verb
  • Oil prices have been on a rollercoaster this year, oscillating as traders react to flare-ups in fighting and monitor oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of oscillating between performance and people, leaders can learn to integrate these two seemingly opposing forces into a single approach to transformational leadership.
    — Michael Corvini, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of oscillating
Verb
  • After a stabbing in Southport, England, in 2024, viral posts falsely claiming that the suspect was a Muslim and an undocumented migrant spread rapidly to millions via X and other platforms, inflaming the riots that ensued.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
  • This incident continued to come up all season, dividing the group and inflaming the relationship between the Bookos and married couple Janet and Jason Caperna.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inflaming
Verb
  • Ahead, the sandwich-board balloon, swaying in the wind, said, This way, this way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This prevents specialists from swaying recommendations based on conflicts of interest.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of swaying
Verb
  • Initial analysis suggests global warming exacerbated the melting of the glacier that snapped off in August, triggering flash floods.
    — Mamita Bhandari, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Eight gunmen then stormed the compound, triggering a 20-hour gunbattle that killed at least 21 people, most of them police officers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • Riot was seen looking up at the stage and waving back at his dad while Rihanna filmed the interaction.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Groups of screaming preschoolers pass by us in the park, fists clutched tight onto their walking ropes, chubby hands waving hello or pointing to squirrels scampering in their path.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of waving
Verb
  • This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of kindling
Verb
  • At one point, while casually flicking the fly rod in his right hand, Tapper listed other California Democrats expected to enter the 2028 race, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The fire had engulfed the garage roof, with flames flicking nearby trees and threatening to spread beyond the garage.
    — Rob Moore, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flicking
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.

Browse Nearby Words

fannies
fanning
fanning (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Fanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanning. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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