as in bobs
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
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Recent Examples of nods
Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
The bar’s signature Brunello Bloody Mary nods to the hotel’s long-standing history as the drink's inventors and remains a house classic, richer and more savory than most, thanks to the wine-forward twist.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Other nods to motorsport include carbon fiber elements, red accents, and a custom windshield frame in Ferrari’s famous Giallo Modena yellow.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
The park nods to his legacy with Lamar’s Libations, a refreshment stand named in his honor.
—Taylor Haught, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
The Crew-13 mission patch includes visual nods to the insignia worn by Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert in April 1970.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
Knueppel garnered 44 first-place votes and totaled 386 while Flagg amassed 56 first-place nods that propelled him to a total of 412.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Perhaps her charms represent trips to Europe, tokens of luck, indications of hobbies, or nods to significant milestones.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Jaquan Wright is known as Two Skin, a moniker that nods to his vitiligo skin disorder.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Christian Romo, Freep.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
And muerto nods to their culture, where death is not a morbid subject.
—Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
The bar’s signature Brunello Bloody Mary nods to the hotel’s long-standing history as the drink's inventors and remains a house classic, richer and more savory than most, thanks to the wine-forward twist.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Other nods to motorsport include carbon fiber elements, red accents, and a custom windshield frame in Ferrari’s famous Giallo Modena yellow.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
The park nods to his legacy with Lamar’s Libations, a refreshment stand named in his honor.
—Taylor Haught, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
The Crew-13 mission patch includes visual nods to the insignia worn by Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert in April 1970.
—Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026
Knueppel garnered 44 first-place votes and totaled 386 while Flagg amassed 56 first-place nods that propelled him to a total of 412.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Perhaps her charms represent trips to Europe, tokens of luck, indications of hobbies, or nods to significant milestones.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
Jaquan Wright is known as Two Skin, a moniker that nods to his vitiligo skin disorder.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Released in 2024, the uniforms have multiple nods to car culture, including a tire mark down the middle of the jersey and a nod to Woodward Ave on the sleeve.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nods
Verb
-
Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As a result, educators are leaving the profession, classrooms are overcrowded, and mental health counselors and other critical supports are disappearing.—
Kevin Vick,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Disney Scoop Guy posted a video to Instagram on Thursday, April 23 from the Anaheim theme park that shows an A-frame roof and vertical supports popping up above construction walls just east of Edelweiss Snacks.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One sweet baby could be seen wearing a pink tutu and pink flower hair bows, sleeping soundly in her photo.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Families pile in with kids decked out in their Sunday best — bows in their hair, fluffy dresses, cowlicks gelled down.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The menu includes shakes, like a Strawberry Shortcake Krunch, as well as boba refreshers and iced coffees.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Bring cash for soft-serve cones, shakes, sundaes, or slushies.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Though initially dismissed and even ridiculed, Mitchell went on to win the 1978 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his idea that a current of protons constantly flows into the cell as the cell vigorously pumps them back out, and that this is the driving force behind key cellular processes.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Duchess of Sussex wore the Wolford hosiery with a khaki A-line dress by Australian brand Friends with Frank and black Manolo Blahnik pumps.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For Maleki, what makes this moment different is not sanctions alone, but the convergence of sanctions, naval blockade and aggressive secondary enforcement.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
The names of the individuals and entities hit with the sanctions were not immediately clear.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While many media streaming sticks can work to some extent when plugged into a TV's USB port, their performance isn’t reliable and can be prone to crashes and reboots due to power dips.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The product design for the pull-on skinny and flare denim sought to tackle frequent fit issues women have with jeans—such as waist gaps and hip dips—with waist-smoothing paneling and padding and contour seaming to lift and round wearers’ hips.—
Sarah Jones,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nods. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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