Thesaurus results for UNDULATE

Q: How does the verb 'undulate' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of undulate are fluctuate , oscillate , sway , swing , vibrate , and waver . While all these words mean "to move from one direction to its opposite," undulate suggests a gentle wavelike motion. // an undulating sea of grass

Q: When is 'fluctuate' a more appropriate choice than 'undulate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to undulate , fluctuate suggests constant irregular changes of level, intensity, or value. // fluctuating interest rates

Q: Where would 'oscillate' be a reasonable alternative to 'undulate'?

The words oscillate and undulate can be used in similar contexts, but oscillate stresses a usually regular alternation of direction. // an oscillating fan

Q: When can 'sway' be used instead of 'undulate'?

While the synonyms sway and undulate are close in meaning, sway implies a slow swinging or teetering movement. // trees swaying in the breeze

Q: When might 'swing' be a better fit than 'undulate'?

Although the words swing and undulate have much in common, swing implies a movement of something attached at one end or one side. // the door suddenly swung open

Q: When would 'vibrate' be a good substitute for 'undulate'?

The meanings of vibrate and undulate largely overlap; however, vibrate suggests the rapid oscillation of an elastic body under stress or impact. // the vibrating strings of a piano

Q: When is it sensible to use 'waver' instead of 'undulate'?

In some situations, the words waver and undulate are roughly equivalent. However, waver stresses irregular motion suggestive of reeling or tottering. // the exhausted runner wavered before collapsing

undulate

verb

Definition of undulate

as in to oscillate

formal to move or be shaped like waves undulating hills an undulating surface

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How does the verb undulate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of undulate are fluctuate, oscillate, sway, swing, vibrate, and waver. While all these words mean "to move from one direction to its opposite," undulate suggests a gentle wavelike motion.

an undulating sea of grass

When is fluctuate a more appropriate choice than undulate?

While in some cases nearly identical to undulate, fluctuate suggests constant irregular changes of level, intensity, or value.

fluctuating interest rates

Where would oscillate be a reasonable alternative to undulate?

The words oscillate and undulate can be used in similar contexts, but oscillate stresses a usually regular alternation of direction.

an oscillating fan

When can sway be used instead of undulate?

While the synonyms sway and undulate are close in meaning, sway implies a slow swinging or teetering movement.

trees swaying in the breeze

When might swing be a better fit than undulate?

Although the words swing and undulate have much in common, swing implies a movement of something attached at one end or one side.

the door suddenly swung open

When would vibrate be a good substitute for undulate?

The meanings of vibrate and undulate largely overlap; however, vibrate suggests the rapid oscillation of an elastic body under stress or impact.

the vibrating strings of a piano

When is it sensible to use waver instead of undulate?

In some situations, the words waver and undulate are roughly equivalent. However, waver stresses irregular motion suggestive of reeling or tottering.

the exhausted runner wavered before collapsing

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 undulate Sleek and extravagant, Rosewood Abu Dhabi provides a dramatic welcome, with architecture that calls to mind an undulating desert. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Suburbs stretch their undulating freeways into the grid, sucking out nutrients (and cutting through neighborhoods). — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Real manta rays propel themselves by rhythmically flapping and undulating their enormous pectoral fins. — New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026 The pinkish squid glided two miles beneath the surface, its long, pale legs trailing from undulating fins, stunning scientists who know remarkably little about its diet, behavior or reproduction. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for undulate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulate

Verb

An oscillating dub siren sounds against the chime of a triangle and crackling waves pitched to loud white noise.

— Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
Prior to the withdrawal deadline, there was a glimmer of hope for Bodnar and Bankhead as the state had oscillated between parties in statewide races.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of oscillate

Verb

This year’s attendees described a challenging environment characterized by jittery consumers, elevated interest rates and fuel costs, fluctuating tariff policies and an expensive landscape for construction.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2026
When placed near a power cable, the fluctuating magnetic field passes through the inductor and induces a tiny alternating voltage across it.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of fluctuate

Verb

But the Englishwoman was trembling, and there were two women standing by a docked boat, waving toward the restaurant, the air pierced by their screams.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2026
Children and their parents were waving flags in the streets celebrating the joyous news.

— William Lambers, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of wave

Verb

Jackson threw a lateral to wide receiver Tucker Cusano, who was supposed to throw downfield, but the ball appeared to slip out of his hand and fluttered into the air.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
The big night As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.

— Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of flutter

Verb

Soon after, a warden shook Guardado and shouted his name, but got no response and a medic then pronounced him dead.

— KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Ueno Bank’s failure has locked nearly half the country’s 6 million people out of their savings, shaking a country long viewed as one of South America’s more stable economies.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of shake

Verb

Tucked away in buzzy gastro-hub CV Galería in upscale Vitacura, the spot offers a calming analog experience that fuses open-fire cooking, flickering candlelight, and a vinyl soundtrack.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
The nearly century-old prison, its dank corridors lit by flickering fluorescent tubes, is now closing, and its more than 1,000 inmates are moving to a new penitentiary complex.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of flicker

Verb

Boyd, who maintained his innocence to the end, thrashed and convulsed for 40 minutes after prison officials attached a gas mask to his face, according to Hood and journalist Lee Hedgepeth, who witnessed Boyd’s execution.

— Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
So is all change for the better, like birth and death, which convulse the body.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of convulse

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“Undulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulate. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of undulate

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