fanning

verb

present participle of fan
1
as in igniting

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Dissimilar Words
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
  • The late Hayden Panettiere's fans are demanding a boycott of Neutrogena products, re-igniting a call that came after the actress made allegations the skin-care company wanted to fire her for speaking out about her postpartum depression.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Weeks later, their surrogate gave birth in Texas, igniting a fight over parental rights.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of igniting
Verb
  • According to Léna, the experiments included studying the dust in the corona (which was emitting infrared radiation), studying the oscillating hot gas in the corona, and studying the chromosphere.
    — Dhananjay Khadilkar, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The more constructive comparison is early 2023, when ADBE spent several weeks oscillating around the line before reclaiming it and beginning a strong advance.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of oscillating
Verb
  • 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
  • Chad Gable spent much of last year recovering from surgery after inflaming lucha libre fans with his El Grande Americano gimmick.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflaming
Verb
  • 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
  • Even the unofficial mayor of the city, filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, is swaying in the corner.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of swaying
Verb
  • The Treasury’s intervention helped boost risky bets, triggering an upswing in crypto prices.
    — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Redistricting battle spread to numerous states Missouri’s mid-decade redistricting effort has been among the most litigated nationally, triggering about a dozen lawsuits over the past year.
    — David A. Lieb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • Columbia is not just an enclave but a neighborhood within a neighborhood, a 36-acre concentration of urban activity — activity that has always included regular doses of protest, speechifying, electioneering, and petition waving.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Behind the scenes, White House officials have spent months waving Kennedy off his vaccine agenda amid a historic wave of measles infections.
    — Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 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
  • Within a few minutes, Hutchinson has his mobile out, happily flicking through the screensavers.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 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 27 Aug. 2026.

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