pawing

Definition of pawingnext
present participle of paw

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawing
Verb
  • In the end, an Australian photographer claimed the top prize for capturing a tender moment of elephant seal pups nuzzling in a rockpool.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Sara Aparacio, a resident cleaning expert at Homeaglow, equates scrubbing an appliance with an abrasive sponge to rubbing it with very fine sandpaper.
    Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 11 Apr. 2026
  • People also can catch typhus by breathing in flea dirt or rubbing it into their eyes, the agency said.
    Don Sweeney April 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Elton John doing a handstand on his keyboard, Roger Daltrey stroking a microphone, Ian Anderson making the flute somehow look cool — his pictures became a means of connection for fans.
    David Di Sabatino, SPIN, 3 Apr. 2026
  • At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.
    Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, decreasing anxiety, and increasing positivity, according to the news release.
    Dawn Giangiulio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Antonio Burton, 37, was originally charged with child molesting when the defendant is at least 21 years old, a Level 1 felony, and child molesting, fondling or touching a child under 14, a Level 4 felony.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Worse is to come as Waaler insists on creepily fondling her cooling corpse — and makes Hole to do the same.
    K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Truthfully, the ant was already out of the bag, because the trailer that Marvel debuted at CinemaCon on Thursday included a shot of Scott/Ant-Man kissing his daughter on the head.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • The proud parents could be seen kissing in front of the courthouse and posing for photos outside of it with their children running around them.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Lavender juxtaposed with ambroxan makes this scent read as fresh, with musk and beachside woods ground it into a skin-hugging base.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • By nudging or priming people with these human-like cues, then that shifts us more into the warmth dimension.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Or set the dial to infinity point (∞) on your lens' dial and take an image, nudging past it for each successive image until the stars are sharp.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Pawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawing. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

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