as in gesturing
to move your arms and hands especially when speaking in an angry or emotional way
He was gesticulating wildly during his speech.
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Recent Examples of gesticulating
Their remaining team-mates applauded the away enclosure, but many in that section were gesticulating their disdain.
—
Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gesticulating
Verb
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Everyone sat down around a fire pit, except for Land, who stood, face lit from below, gesturing and swaying.—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
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Forward Justin Cross tapped his head, gesturing that the dunk was on the defender’s head.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Andrew and Sarah waving at the camera prior to departing for Balmoral to spend their summer holiday there.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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To his credit, Elon didn’t stop waving red flags.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some were nodding, brows furrowed, as if in a foreign-language class; others were trying not to bust up laughing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Another accent nodding to the Queen Mother is a sculpture of a royal corgi, in reference to her beloved dogs.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gesticulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gesticulating. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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