as in waving
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
the referee motioned the team captains to confer with him on the sideline
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Recent Examples of motioning
With the game well out of reach and 10 seconds to play, Tre White dunked — despite Self motioning from the sideline to dribble it out.
—
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Good appears to be motioning to them with her hands.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The next play offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called involved a couple of players motioning.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Virgin-Morgan then was motioning toward officials, but nothing was called by the crew.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Nov. 2025
Before motioning for the resolution to be adopted, District 14 Ald.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Palvin, who revealed before the show that the nerves still get to her, seemed at times disappointed in the crowd's reaction, motioning upward with her hands, expecting more applause.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
The officials talked about it and ruled that Goff didn't pause after motioning out from under center.
—Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Good appears to be motioning to them with her hands.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
The next play offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called involved a couple of players motioning.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Virgin-Morgan then was motioning toward officials, but nothing was called by the crew.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Nov. 2025
Before motioning for the resolution to be adopted, District 14 Ald.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Palvin, who revealed before the show that the nerves still get to her, seemed at times disappointed in the crowd's reaction, motioning upward with her hands, expecting more applause.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
The officials talked about it and ruled that Goff didn't pause after motioning out from under center.
—Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motioning
Verb
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Footage obtained by affiliate FOX 11 Los Angeles showed students marching down the street, waving large Mexican flags and signs while toting backpacks.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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There, Brandon became known for his ongoing investigation into air pollution at a paper mill part-owned by NFL owner Robert Kraft, including his attempt to get an interview with Kraft by waving down his police motorcade.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yet after gesturing toward a promising thriller setup, the film soon begins to spin its wheels — doing little to complicate or tighten the melodrama, while only superficially probing its two principal characters as their romance is inevitably reignited.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
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Yet by simultaneously gesturing toward the audience, O’Hara also underscored the importance of bringing viewers into the fold.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motioning. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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