pawing

present participle of paw

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawing
Verb
  • Sam then picks up Emerald and asks for a cuddle, and the pup happily obliges, nuzzling into Sam's neck and relaxing into the hug.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Work it into the fabric by massaging it with the pads of your fingers or by rubbing the fabric against itself.
    Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2025
  • These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees.
    Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.
    Peter Boyd, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In the black-and-white video, Kelly could be seen holding his baby's hand, stroking her fingers.
    Sarah Jones, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The singer was spotted in pictures shared to social media, gently caressing the baby bump of his romantic partner.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
  • Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Ansari had about three-quarters of Being Mortal in the can when a female production assistant accused Murray of climbing on top of her in a bed and kissing her through their COVID masks.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When Frankie finally returned home, Beau couldn't contain his joy, jumping for joy and hugging his best friend.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Layered on top of this is the Northern Sea Route, a shipping lane hugging the Russian coast in the Arctic that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, chops down transit times and helps Moscow transport hydrocarbons to key markets, including in Asia.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the past, these placements were also a reliable driver of indirect traffic, boosting your SERP visibility and nudging readers back to your site.
    Noa Eshed, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • In any event, this retrograde is nudging you to choose quality over quantity.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rafael Nadal was famous for pulling at his shorts, tucking his hair behind his ears, and touching his nose, for example, while Serena Williams was known to bounce her ball a specific number of times (five on the first serve, and two on the second).
    Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
  • And also as an only child that's touching to see them together.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 4 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Pawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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