as in bowing
bending downward or forward
some students, with nodding heads, were helplessly falling asleep during the boring lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bobbing
to make short up-and-down movements
though she couldn't see the rain, she knew it had started because she could see the flowers nod as raindrops hit them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nodding
Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
Christina Perrier, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Savannah Guthrie delivered an emotional message asking for information on her mother, while nodding to the dire circumstances surrounding her absence.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Cameras showed audience members nodding along, shaking their shoulders and otherwise getting into the music.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Murakami gestures to the walls before him, nodding his head sagely.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Some were nodding, brows furrowed, as if in a foreign-language class; others were trying not to bust up laughing.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The narrative stretches across generations, nodding to legacy, land, time and the tension between holding on and letting go.
—Russ Penuell, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
The synth-heavy soundtrack is back, nodding to the greed-is-good eighties while evoking both an ultra-contemporary cool and an inhuman chill.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
But recently, Kennedy has seen an uptick in people listing hobbies again, nodding to their vintage Star Wars figurine collection or pickleball fever.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.
—Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
Verb
Princess Anne is due to receive a rare honor, nodding to her love of horse racing and Olympic riding abilities.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026
Savannah Guthrie delivered an emotional message asking for information on her mother, while nodding to the dire circumstances surrounding her absence.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Cameras showed audience members nodding along, shaking their shoulders and otherwise getting into the music.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Murakami gestures to the walls before him, nodding his head sagely.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Some were nodding, brows furrowed, as if in a foreign-language class; others were trying not to bust up laughing.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The narrative stretches across generations, nodding to legacy, land, time and the tension between holding on and letting go.
—Russ Penuell, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
The synth-heavy soundtrack is back, nodding to the greed-is-good eighties while evoking both an ultra-contemporary cool and an inhuman chill.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
But recently, Kennedy has seen an uptick in people listing hobbies again, nodding to their vintage Star Wars figurine collection or pickleball fever.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodding
Verb
-
After ten minutes in the water, Coach is out there bobbing along on his back with cramps in both of his calves.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Picture a waterfront bustling with bobbing fishing boats and the air tinged with the scent of fresh seafood, as San Hing Praya Street and Pak She Praya Road dish out alfresco dining scenes straight out of a sunset lover's dream.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Weak to light shaking has been detected and people reported feeling the tremor in several cities, including Geyserville, Kelseyville and Cloverdale according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But Bergeron was there every time his team needed a big stop, leaving the Vikings (15-7-2) shaking their heads many times.—
Matt Roy,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of your standard dress shoes, Styles finished the look with a perfect pair of minty-green ballet flats with bowed laces.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Officials have begun pumping the brakes a bit.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Gooding yells giddily, triumphantly jumping and fist-pumping the air.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodding. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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