Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawing
Verb
-
The video shows his two pet dogs, with a mutt named Thunder in the lead, nuzzling open a sliding door to get outside into the yard.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025 -
The Saint Bernards gently lie down beside him, licking and nuzzling him affectionately.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
However, there is a risk of the shinbone rubbing against the femur with this type of injury, which can injure the cartilage (which is designed to reduce friction between the bones).—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The lawsuit accuses Smith of grooming the boy and touching him inappropriately, including rubbing his buttocks and pressing his own body against the boy's while he was seated at his desk.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
-
At one point Eliot entered the TV room and found Abby with her head on Claire’s lap, Claire stroking her hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The actor followed her around at several events related to the wedding, eventually caressing the back of her arm and pressing his knee against hers under the table.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
They were spotted kissing and dancing at Gator’s just hours before the arrest, as seen in video obtained by TMZ.—
Jami Ganz,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Noone admitted in court to touching the teen inappropriately by rubbing and grabbing the teen’s butt, kissing her arm and rubbing her thigh, according to the Times.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The new Fast & Furious coaster that has been revving its engines during test runs around the hillside-hugging track will soon get the green flag to officially start racing with thrill seekers on board at Universal Studios Hollywood.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Available in 19 versatile washes, these hip-hugging jeans gradually flare out to a bootcut leg.—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When snowflakes began to fall, some stuck their tongues out and laughed, playfully nudging one another.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
After all the years of dreaming and campaigning and nudging the league for an outdoor game, Vinik suffered a major leg fracture during a snowmobiling accident on a trip to Norway with his kids.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
All seems normal with this new potential job until the woman conducting the interview subtly reveals bruises on her arms and, not so subtly, starts fingering her kitchen knives.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Using a fingering yarn when a knitting pattern specifies DK means your garment will end up much too small.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
23 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawing. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
