1
as in signs
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling
a teenager who often shrugs her shoulders in a gesture of indifference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
sent a handwritten thank-you note as a gesture of his gratitude
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in motions
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
the police officer gestured me to the side of the road to tell me my headlight was out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gestures
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Even small gestures—bringing in greenery, using textures that feel organic—can completely change how a space feels.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2026
The frantic gestures from Kenny Schrader.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Apart from managing the relationship with Washington, Takaichi faces the need to strike a balance between regional sensitivities and domestic political gestures that fire up her conservative and nationalist base.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The Iranian government has announced gestures such as launching a new coupon program for essential goods.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Under the hood, Sprout uses a highly articulated body with 29 degrees of freedom to support smooth movement and expressive gestures.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
That puts much more pressure to perform on Valentine's Day, whether through big gestures or gifts.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
For most of the show, Bad Bunny had been mugging merrily to the camera, flaring his eyes and making hammy gestures to illustrate his words.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
However, the rich subtext of its casting adds a whole new layer that often promises to supersede these self-reflexive gestures.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Feb. 2026
Even small gestures—bringing in greenery, using textures that feel organic—can completely change how a space feels.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2026
The frantic gestures from Kenny Schrader.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2026
Apart from managing the relationship with Washington, Takaichi faces the need to strike a balance between regional sensitivities and domestic political gestures that fire up her conservative and nationalist base.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 15 Feb. 2026
The Iranian government has announced gestures such as launching a new coupon program for essential goods.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Under the hood, Sprout uses a highly articulated body with 29 degrees of freedom to support smooth movement and expressive gestures.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
That puts much more pressure to perform on Valentine's Day, whether through big gestures or gifts.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
For most of the show, Bad Bunny had been mugging merrily to the camera, flaring his eyes and making hammy gestures to illustrate his words.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gestures
Noun
-
Below, our bed bug experts detail how to recognize the earliest signs of a pest problem, the different types of available treatments, and top tips for preventing bed bugs from ever crossing your bedroom's threshold.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
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Nonetheless, people often laugh about how well astrological signs describe people born under them.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—
Simon Akam,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
-
Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There was a rush of gesticulations, with Greenberg speaking in English.—
Robert Sullivan,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Every now and again, a brand-new book waves its knowing hand.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Dancer Natalie Reid approaches to take the barstool beside her, but Swift waves her away because the seat is reserved for her stone.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What do collecting old editions of Dungeons & Dragons monster manuals, securing the same tailgate spot for over 20 years and mastering yoga postures have in common?—
Emily Messina,
The Conversation,
6 Feb. 2026
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From those images, the app creates a digital avatar of the athlete and simulates how different postures affect airflow and drag, variables critical to speedskating success.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
By tracking how those signals curved through Jupiter’s atmosphere, the team created detailed maps of temperature and density across the planet.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Analysts cautioned that markets may be over-interpreting diplomatic signals that could quickly reverse.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gestures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gestures. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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