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
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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
María Casbas, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Jan. 2026
But Crockett puts equal value on the small gestures.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Allure is inherently fluid—the back and forth of conversation, of gestures, of feelings.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
It's also got a touch zone at the top that supports gestures.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
Some people prefer quiet nights in over grand gestures.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
That’s why the Chesneys take such delight in the simplest of gestures.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
On social media, the President made some gestures of solidarity.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Noun
From arrival to the smallest gestures, everything flows naturally, guided by near-invisible discretion, care that is felt rather than seen.
—María Casbas, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Jan. 2026
But Crockett puts equal value on the small gestures.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Allure is inherently fluid—the back and forth of conversation, of gestures, of feelings.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Jan. 2026
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
It's also got a touch zone at the top that supports gestures.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Jan. 2026
Some people prefer quiet nights in over grand gestures.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
That’s why the Chesneys take such delight in the simplest of gestures.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
On social media, the President made some gestures of solidarity.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gestures
Noun
-
The girls seemed to be having a great time during these performances, interacting with fans by reacting to their costumes and signs, and creating a Candybong wave.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Many marchers also referenced the killing of Renee Nicole Good, with signs honoring both victims and calling for accountability.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
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The agent who appeared to be de-escalating a separate agent turns attention to the agent deploying pepper spray and waves him down.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Altman almost waves away these grim tolls as an inevitable consequence of the product’s popularity.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To build their robot hand, the engineers began by creating a digital library of human hand grasp postures.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The multi-adaptive seat belts can optimize themselves for different types of crash conditions, body types, and even driving postures.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Manpreet Gill, regional chief investment officer for Europe, Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered, said the bank’s proprietary signals show both metals in overbought territory.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Expanding on the data signals ownership while adding value to the group.—
Chris Lipp,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gestures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gestures. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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