motions 1 of 2

plural of motion

motions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of motion
as in waves
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture the referee motioned the team captains to confer with him on the sideline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of motions
Noun
In part of a flurry of motions from both sides in the past week, Stines is asking for a judge to release him on bail. Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025 Gallner and Weaver can only do so much with these scenes that mostly feel like going through the motions. Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025 Buff the toothpaste into the copper using circular motions, then rinse with warm water and dry completely. Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025 Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot. Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025 Christopher Blackburn opposing both motions. Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025 The team’s findings are reportedly the result of a 250-day continuous experiment in which the laser measured complex motions of the planet’s axis. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025 There has been no ruling on those motions, and a trial date has not yet been set. Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2025 For Confluent, the data streaming pioneer, that inflection point came as the company scaled across clouds, regions, and go-to-market motions. Scott Woody, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motions
Noun
  • This was a far cry from a year ago, when Muchová and Osaka played each other in the second round and Muchová plotted Osaka’s movements around the court for her, opening up space, then using her touch to drop the ball into it.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Just six months ago, Mako could not be touched on his face without showing his teeth and would react to any abrupt hand movements.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After the Hunt star Andrew Garfield waves to attendees of the red carpet premiere of the film in Venice on Friday.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • In Lake Michigan, beach-goers from Manistee County south to Berrien County should beware of strong rip currents, waves up to 6 feet high and gusts reaching 25 knots (28 mph).
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Pace put different people through the paces of different things on different equipment and surfaces, ranging from some beginner movements to some rather acrobatic moves by a woman visiting from South Korea that looked a lot like gymnastics.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This trade is the latest dealing in what has been a flurry of moves for the Eagles in the past month.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Yet, bizarrely, the TV show undercuts this angle by inventing a serial killer nurse from whole cloth, a move that shifts the blame away from systemic forces and toward a motiveless scoundrel.
    Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In an article for Harvard Business Review, Allison Shapira explored how post-pandemic shifts have challenged conventional wardrobe norms.
    Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Motions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motions. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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