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 airport was attacked again Sunday, igniting a fireand killing one person and injuring 11, Saudi aviation authorities said.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Aerohart From there, the bulk of Aerohart's update work focuses on making the Aviator's Ember easier to hold and thereby more user-friendly for igniting tinder.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of igniting
Verb
  • The Super-Kamiokande experiment, an enormous 110 million-pound (50-kiloton) vessel of ultrapure water buried under a mountain in Japan, discovered in 1998 that neutrinos produced in the atmosphere were oscillating.
    — Doug Cowen, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • How to Change the Grout in Your Shower Start your refresh by removing the old grout with grout removal tools like a grout saw or an oscillating tool equipped with a grout removal blade.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of oscillating
Verb
  • Relying on remote technical collection could also avoid inflaming opposition by field officers who may not be prepared to take great personal risks to help the private sector.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The gendered backlash spilled offline into a recent council meeting and is inflaming political divisions within College Park.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of inflaming
Verb
  • The observer at the edge of the dance-floor, secretly swaying with the rhythm.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of swaying
Verb
  • Pandemic closures slashed membership by 55%, triggering a $40 million revenue collapse in 2020 that forced leadership to freeze hiring, defer capital projects, draw on reserves and adjust lender terms.
    — Chase Jordan October 14, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The store owner was in Israel at the time, triggering a yearslong extradition process.
    — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of triggering
Verb
  • The Lithuanian Parliament moved to allow nuclear weapons on its soil, with a final vote to take place in January, as the Kremlin is already waving red flags over the move.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Defensive lineman Shelby Harris started waving both arms to indicate the game should be over.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 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
  • Coming for a variety of longtime critics of the merger, opposition rose and suspicion about the settlement served to pour gasoline on an already flicking fire.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • He’s getting hit sometimes, and just flicking this ball out there.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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