UNDULATING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

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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Dissimilar Words

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

With undulating arms and plastic smiles, my sister and I dutifully filled her orders. — Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026 He gets pummeled by waves and rip currents while negotiating the famously difficult shore dive but is soon swimming among brightly colored marine life and undulating kelp forests that filter sunlight from the surface. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 Moments later, Jay is trapped inside, surrounded by gooey protrusions of undulating flesh. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 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 An avant-garde pick, the Olivera floor lamp from Lulu and Georgia boasts an undulating wicker frame. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulating

Adjective

But in his own drawing, De Kooning let rip with liner brushes, swishing them about all over the paper, achieving undulant lines that contract and expand like living creatures.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of undulant

Verb

Many laboratory innovations fail when tested on real-world power grids, where fluctuating solar and wind energy subjects equipment to harsh operating cycles.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
This insulates these segments of the market from the effects of fluctuating mortgage rates.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of fluctuating

Adjective

The details didn’t stop there, continuing into her blond wavy locks, with butterfly appliqués incorporated into two thin braids, one on each side of her head.

— Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
Her new fringe hit just past her eyebrows and fanned out at the sides, effortlessly melding into her slightly wavy brunette bob.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of wavy

Adjective

Volkswagen hasn't attempted to turn its three-row family hauler into a rolling origami experiment or a study in aerodynamic sculpture.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
The smoothness of Knock Knock echoes through the rolling mid-tempo grooves of Stiltz’s unshowy arrangements, featuring drifting pedal steel from Theo Stocks and tasteful embellishments from Ana Roxanne on piano and vocals.

— Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of rolling

Adjective

However, sodium metal is highly reactive, and its interaction with conventional liquid electrolytes can cause unwanted chemical reactions and uneven metal deposits called dendrites.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Hiring in 2026 has resulted in an uneven demographic shift in the workforce, according to survey estimates analyzed by the Post.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneven

Verb

Watchstanders got a distress call just before noon from the good Samaritan, who told them that there was a vessel with smoke coming from it roughly five miles west of the beach, with a person waving their arms on board.

— CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Milwaukee fans in the crowd of 40,514, many waving yellow towels and some wearing cheeseheads, brought a Badger State feel to Tropicana Field.

— Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of waving

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Style

“Undulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulating. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of undulating

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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