undulate

Synonym Chooser

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 This track-centric experience lets drivers who’ve completed the Ice Experience session, master drifting through the curves on Circuit Mécaglisse’s undulating main track, and experience those 500-plus-hp 911 rocketships for lap after lap. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025 The undulating building features exhibition spaces, a library, a museum, and concert venues where a rotating program of art exhibitions, performances, conferences, and workshops showcase Azeri history and contemporary culture, both local and international. Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025 Excavating wetlands, as various studies have suggested, would yield soil that could be mounded into sound-blocking berms, as at Brooklyn Bridge Park; lookouts, as on Governors Island; and undulating grasslands like those at Freshkills. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025 For example, the undulating landscape of the Chinese Hillside Garden is threaded with meandering paths that wind through a woodland of conifer trees and beside a narrow stream with a small waterfall. Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for undulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulate
Verb
  • The work of Thierry Mugler, who founded the label in 1974, oscillated between old Hollywood, high camp, and outer space—and sometimes encompassed all three—but was always delivered by a fierce talent aided and abetted by a scalpel-sharp sense of form and fit.
    Mark Holgate, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The roughly five-minute sequence is shot in tight close-up on Day-Lewis, who oscillates between anger, pain and gleeful contempt.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Whether that fluctuating dynamic between coach and players should have any lasting consequences is a matter for United’s board and owners which, as Amorim referenced in his pre-match press conference, includes the Glazers as well as Ratcliffe.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Amid the tightening of poll margins and fluctuating voter sentiment, both candidates will intensify their campaigns as Election Day nears.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Many springs feature a visible boil at the water surface above the spring vent, crystal clear water, submerged grasses waving in the current, and a range of fish, turtles, snails and other aquatic animals hiding in the grasses.
    Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Students waved pompoms also in the school’s signature black and red as Wilson jumped for joy.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Union Jack bunting fluttered overhead.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Coomes has seen unexplained orbs fluttering in upstairs offices on the security cameras.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Designer Joe Nahem of the esteemed firm Fox-Nahem was then brought in to merge the two spaces into one wildly creative space that vibrates with color, pattern, and texture.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Each of the three biographies—any good biography—vibrates with the intensity of its author’s possession by their subject and the thrill of exhumation, if only metaphoric.
    Megan Marshall September 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After 30 minutes or so, pause the machine, remove the comforter, and shake it out before adding it back to the drum, continuing the process until the bedding is fully dry.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The earthquake shook at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter approximately 10 miles south of Trona.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Astronomers had long suspected the flickering light came from patchy clouds.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Flame type One of the best aspects of ordinary candles is their flickering flame.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The new information suggested at least modest progress in an investigation into a killing that law enforcement was treating as the latest instance of political violence to convulse the United States across the ideological spectrum.
    Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Testament of Ann Lee, a staggering, surreal musical charting the rise of the 18th-century religious sect the Shakers and their titular leader, as embodied by a wild-haired, convulsing Amanda Seyfried.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Undulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulate. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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