oscillations

plural of oscillation
1
as in fluctuations
the frequent and usually sudden passing from one condition to another fickle springtime weather in which there seemed to be an unceasing oscillation between unseasonable heat and unseasonable cold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in vibrations
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side the precise oscillations of the quartz crystal that allows a quartz watch to keep such accurate time

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 oscillations Superimposed on this slow drift are smaller and more frequent oscillations known as nutations. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025 Instead, gravitational waves, as natural quantum oscillations of space-time itself, are enough in this model to create the density fluctuations that lead to matter developing structures like galaxies, stars, and planets. Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Scientists have continued to develop light-flickering stimulation to induce gamma-wave oscillations in Alzheimer's disease patients. New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025 Political oscillations are as much of a challenge to dealing with climate change as climate change itself. Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 These oscillations, between the excited state and the de-excited state, are what cause the emission of light. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 7 Aug. 2025 Stabilizing the oscillations following normal rules caused a slightly higher-than-usual voltage. IEEE Spectrum, 16 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oscillations
Noun
  • Primordial black holes are theorized to have been created not from stars but as a result of initial density fluctuations in the universe moments after the Big Bang.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Cryptocurrencies are notoriously volatile, with prices capable of experiencing dramatic fluctuations over short timeframes.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Driven by the balance between gravity and inertia, the weight shifts automatically as vibrations change.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
  • As the seas warm, researchers have found that sound carries farther, and that rising acidity alters the very chemistry of how vibrations move through saltwater, reshaping the pathways of song and echo.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And without further changes to the H-2A program, experts told ProPublica, foreign farmworkers may continue to be harmed.
    Max Blau, ProPublica, 16 Sep. 2025
  • If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your doctor may consider things like glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oscillations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oscillations. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on oscillations

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!