as in undulant
rising and falling in a wavelike pattern
The undulating terrain was difficult to traverse on foot.
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as in fluctuating
formal
to move or be shaped like waves
undulating hills an undulating surface
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undulating
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando, Florida, already hosts a nighttime drone show that features undulating manta rays, paddling sea turtles and hovering octopuses.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
By the ‘80s, the garden was gone, replaced by a pavilion by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer — a postmodern Mesopotamian gate with glass blocks and undulating turquoise handrails.
—Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026
To the left is a relaxed deck for post-dip chilling; to the right is the beautifully restrained restaurant, partly enclosed in a glasshouse with an undulating canopy roof.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
The Tree House Suites’ undulating design resembles the seedpod of the purple millettia, a common Southeast Asian flowering plant.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Toyo Ito’s 2006 Meiso no Mori Funeral Hall in Gifu, Japan, shelters mourners beneath an undulating thin-concrete canopy like a billowing shroud.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 14 Apr. 2026
Two distinct styles collide on a pair of intergenerational live recordings pitting the Buchla pioneer’s undulating sequences against the lo-fi techno producer’s scuffed textures.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The artist created these tabletop works by slicing disks of walnut into identically sized strips and reassembling the pieces to form undulating fans.
—Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
The undulating landscape lends itself to scenic horseback riding with outfits like Na’alapa Stables, which carries on the tradition of the paniolo cowboys who have herded cattle in the grassy highlands since the late 1800s.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando, Florida, already hosts a nighttime drone show that features undulating manta rays, paddling sea turtles and hovering octopuses.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
By the ‘80s, the garden was gone, replaced by a pavilion by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer — a postmodern Mesopotamian gate with glass blocks and undulating turquoise handrails.
—Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026
To the left is a relaxed deck for post-dip chilling; to the right is the beautifully restrained restaurant, partly enclosed in a glasshouse with an undulating canopy roof.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
The Tree House Suites’ undulating design resembles the seedpod of the purple millettia, a common Southeast Asian flowering plant.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Toyo Ito’s 2006 Meiso no Mori Funeral Hall in Gifu, Japan, shelters mourners beneath an undulating thin-concrete canopy like a billowing shroud.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 14 Apr. 2026
Two distinct styles collide on a pair of intergenerational live recordings pitting the Buchla pioneer’s undulating sequences against the lo-fi techno producer’s scuffed textures.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The artist created these tabletop works by slicing disks of walnut into identically sized strips and reassembling the pieces to form undulating fans.
—Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulating
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
Verb
-
Speaking to the press before departing the White House for a visit to China, the president defended the fluctuating cost of the ballroom project.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
-
Our fluctuating temperatures, our comfort, the securing of a place in which to shelter or the lack of one, the tendency to seek out warmth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Dolphins propel themselves by oscillating their tails in a powerful vertical kicking motion, which drives water backward and creates a wake of complex, turbulent currents.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
-
Richard Mille says the manual winding system allows for a lighter, more streamlined build, without any pesky oscillating weight taking up space.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks to her thick hair and naturally wavy texture, Rosalía’s collarbone-length chop looks particularly full-bodied and voluminous.—
Mykenna Maniece,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
Each wavy stripe is rendered in beige leather, as well as the toe-tip.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Fungus Gnats These 1/8-inch-long delicate-looking gnats may be seen flying near the soil surface of houseplants or fluttering around the house (they’re attracted to light).—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Kick your legs in small up-and-down fluttering motions while keeping your lower back flat and abs tight throughout.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This included cuts to CalFresh that began the day the bill passed and are scheduled to keep being implemented on a rolling basis through October 2027, according to the California Budget & Policy Center.—
Graham Womack
May 9,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
-
Senior housing transaction volume hit $24 billion on a rolling four-quarter basis through the end of 2025—the highest level in a decade—according to JLL’s 2026 Seniors Housing and Care Investor Survey and Trends Outlook, released in March.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Sitting on a small log in the center of the forest, surrounded by softly waving trees and whistling birds, Bob Berkebile wrote a letter no one will ever read.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
-
In both chambers, Democratic lawmakers protested the bill by blaring airhorns, waving signs, shouting at Republican members, and leaving the chamber.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
This not only suppressed uneven vertical phase distribution but also improved film uniformity across the devices.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
Many buildings predate modern standards, leaving visitors to navigate stairs, uneven terrain, or sites that simply can’t be reached without significant retrofitting.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulating. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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