undulating 1 of 2

adjective

as in undulant
rising and falling in a wavelike pattern The undulating terrain was difficult to traverse on foot.

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undulating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of undulate
as in fluctuating
formal to move or be shaped like waves undulating hills an undulating surface

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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 undulating
Verb
Vietnam Nestled in Vietnam’s northern mountains, Sapa dazzles with emerald rice paddies dotted across undulating green hills. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 Imagine a 350-foot-tall orb that can be transformed into virtually anything, from a harvest moon rising over the Strip to a giant snow globe to a tank of undulating jellyfish. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026 Gardener Tomoki Kato crafted a multilayered landscape featuring undulating mounds, red pine trees, a weeping cherry tree, and a pond. — Joanna Kawecki, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026 An undulating white ceiling appears to float above bookshelves, reading areas and living trees. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The undulating synth lead seems tailored to mimic the tone and timbre of a classical Indian singer, a comparison borne out by the occasional flashes of vocal sample peeking through the mix. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026 In terms of beauty, Zendaya has swapped out her bixie—for now—and worn her XXL hair in undulating waves and twisted crown-like braids. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 July 2026 These waves can cause undulating cloud patterns, as well as turbulence. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026 During the Knicks’ victory parade, the undulating downtown crowd looked, from afar, not unlike a school of tropical clown fish. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulating
  1. undulant
  2. fluctuating
  3. wavy
  4. oscillating
  5. rolling
  6. fluttering
  7. uneven
  8. waving
Adjective
  • Our drills included hours of seamlessly merging poetry with three chords, providing me with an undulant field to riff on.
    — Patti Smith, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2025
  • As the undulant hills beyond the valley turned blue in front of me, a cat sauntered onto the veranda and wound its tail around my ankles.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Definition of undulant
Verb
  • The researchers suggested that the cavity’s fluctuating electromagnetic field interacts with the superconducting state through virtual photons.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Rogers and el Sayed are expected to face off in a tight primary race, with initial polls fluctuating between the two candidates in single-digit margins.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fluctuating
Adjective
  • In one drawing, a child covered a page with a sketch of a large book with lines of wavy strokes.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Informal dahlias have petals that can be wavy or curvy, and their blooms are less uniform than formal dahlias.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of wavy
Verb
  • According to Léna, the experiments included studying the dust in the corona (which was emitting infrared radiation), studying the oscillating hot gas in the corona, and studying the chromosphere.
    — Dhananjay Khadilkar, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The more constructive comparison is early 2023, when ADBE spent several weeks oscillating around the line before reclaiming it and beginning a strong advance.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of oscillating
Adjective
  • The Elvevelds bought and gutted an old, assisted living bus and turned it into a rolling plant store for farmers markets, festivals and events all over the state.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Editors also tested some of the most popular rolling totes and carts to find the ones worth your money.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rolling
Verb
  • For Arbaeen, the lights inside the shrine and the flags fluttering from its golden dome are switched to red – the color of vengeance.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Some people feel a racing heartbeat or fluttering in their chest.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of fluttering
Adjective
  • Companies are exploring different robotic designs for transportation, industrial work and mobility, with quadruped systems offering potential advantages on uneven terrain.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
  • König suggests strength training and reformer Pilates before casually adjusting my slightly uneven hips with chiropractic confidence.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of uneven
Verb
  • The midfielder was booked for waving an imaginary yellow card, shown a straight red for violent conduct and also gave away a goal.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The last sidebar called by the judge before lunch appeared intense, with Reddington seen waving his hands a few times.
    — NBC News, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of waving

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Cite this Entry

“Undulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulating. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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