fanning

verb

present participle of fan
1
as in igniting

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2
as in oscillating

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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
  • Bowers dominated the Raiders’ defense in training camp, had success against a top Texans unit in their joint practice and is obviously the key to igniting the offense.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The index then roared back to life, igniting a blistering nine-week winning streak.
    — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of igniting
Verb
  • Joyful noise and other, impolite sounds radiated from the sets oscillating between the two sites.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Sound waves excite the air in the cavities, forcing out the oscillating air to generate thrust.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of oscillating
Verb
  • 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
  • China is increasingly worried about North Korea’s role in creating and intensifying these risks—and about the need to adjust its North Korea strategy to manage them without inflaming tensions and further destabilizing the region.
    — ZHENG JIYONG, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflaming
Verb
  • The Daisy Chain crowd could be seen holding up their lights and swaying to the music.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone seemingly watches them — and a little tennis — with a $23 Honey Deuce in one hand, swaying to DJ Trizz’s mixes on the sound system.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of swaying
Verb
  • Parton died after a brief battle with cancer, with her death triggering an outpouring of grief, from fellow Hollywood stars to everyday fans who attended makeshift memorials.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But Antonelli is set to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid as Mercedes plans to fit his car with a fresh engine, triggering a penalty.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • O’Neil has publicly appealed for golf’s institutions not to execute an unarmed soldier waving the white flag.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The pro-Belgian crowd cheered on their team, waving flags in support.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 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
  • 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
  • Playing with the Chromatic is as simple as inserting a cartridge and flicking the power switch.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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