as in applauses
enthusiastic and usually public expression of approval
received a standing ovation for the masterly performance
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Recent Examples of ovations
All received rousing ovations, with the loudest reserved for Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez, whose AFC Championship interception was shown on the Jumbotron.
—
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The crowd gave some of its loudest ovations for the hometown favorite Williams, who is coming off elbow surgery and did not perform in last week's season opener at Minnesota, and Frankie Price, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury at last year's NCAA Regionals.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026
And those moments were the tip of the iceberg for a night that found standing ovations given to songs and artists that were not as recognizable to everyone in the house, like the leaps to stand up and applaud that followed vocally stunning performances by Lucius and Judith Hill.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Ham, the two-time Pro Bowl pick who has played all 10 seasons in the NFL for his home-state team, received several ovations from the crowd with the possibility this was his final game.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
But somewhere between the standing ovations and the Instagram carousels, a billion-dollar opportunity quietly walked out the door.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2025
For almost three hours, at the invitation-only ceremony, the three inductees were celebrated with words, song and ovations in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s intimate CMA Theater.
—Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Other than the core players and bench boss Kris Knoblauch, Aubry got one of the loudest ovations during pregame introductions on Wednesday.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The crowd gave some of its loudest ovations for the hometown favorite Williams, who is coming off elbow surgery and did not perform in last week's season opener at Minnesota, and Frankie Price, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury at last year's NCAA Regionals.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026
And those moments were the tip of the iceberg for a night that found standing ovations given to songs and artists that were not as recognizable to everyone in the house, like the leaps to stand up and applaud that followed vocally stunning performances by Lucius and Judith Hill.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
Ham, the two-time Pro Bowl pick who has played all 10 seasons in the NFL for his home-state team, received several ovations from the crowd with the possibility this was his final game.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
But somewhere between the standing ovations and the Instagram carousels, a billion-dollar opportunity quietly walked out the door.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2025
For almost three hours, at the invitation-only ceremony, the three inductees were celebrated with words, song and ovations in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s intimate CMA Theater.
—Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Other than the core players and bench boss Kris Knoblauch, Aubry got one of the loudest ovations during pregame introductions on Wednesday.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ovations
Noun
-
Coco continued to draw applauses and laughs while talking about women showing up to church in high heels and lace.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Published in 2020, Hamnet received critical acclaim, winning the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and soaring to the top of bestseller lists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Mongolian brand Goyol Cashmere launched its Olympic looks last month to instant internet acclaim.—
Stefanie Dazio,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ovations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ovations. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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