as in motions
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
waved them over to the side of the road
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waves
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, massages can be arranged in your room or on your terrace, which is hardly a compromise—especially since the crashing waves set the soundtrack for every inch of this property.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Feb. 2026
Sneaker waves can sweep across the shoreline without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Iran used overwhelming force against the protesters to clear people out of the streets, but also to buy the government time by preventing any future waves of unrest, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Our atmosphere is fluid, and the battle of hot and cold takes on the form of 'waves'.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
If these waves are eventually detected, that would rule this idea out.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Unlike her 2001 straight-haired aesthetic, Hudson boasted soft, smooth waves throughout.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026
Dancer Natalie Reid approaches to take the barstool beside her, but Swift waves her away because the seat is reserved for her stone.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
The agent who appeared to be de-escalating a separate agent turns attention to the agent deploying pepper spray and waves him down.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Altman almost waves away these grim tolls as an inevitable consequence of the product’s popularity.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 21 Jan. 2026
Good, in the driver’s seat, waves cars past her.
—Frank Matt, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
One of the all-time greatest Stranger Things moments occurs when Dipshit Derek excitedly waves at his new best friend, Mike Wheeler.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
On Lake Huron, waves up to 17 feet high are expected Tuesday.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 16 Dec. 2025
When Charlene waves him off, indicating the plan was a trap, Chris’s world collapses.
—Jesse Raub, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Noun
This year, ByteDance’s Doubao platform, a gala sponsor, sent out waves of hongbao or red envelopes with virtual cash to users of its AI chatbot app throughout the show, while a comedian at one point asked the app for advice.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, massages can be arranged in your room or on your terrace, which is hardly a compromise—especially since the crashing waves set the soundtrack for every inch of this property.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Feb. 2026
Sneaker waves can sweep across the shoreline without warning, pulling people into the sea from rocks, jetties and beaches.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Iran used overwhelming force against the protesters to clear people out of the streets, but also to buy the government time by preventing any future waves of unrest, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Our atmosphere is fluid, and the battle of hot and cold takes on the form of 'waves'.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
If these waves are eventually detected, that would rule this idea out.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
Unlike her 2001 straight-haired aesthetic, Hudson boasted soft, smooth waves throughout.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Every now and again, a brand-new book waves its knowing hand.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 11 Feb. 2026
Dancer Natalie Reid approaches to take the barstool beside her, but Swift waves her away because the seat is reserved for her stone.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
The agent who appeared to be de-escalating a separate agent turns attention to the agent deploying pepper spray and waves him down.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Altman almost waves away these grim tolls as an inevitable consequence of the product’s popularity.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 21 Jan. 2026
Good, in the driver’s seat, waves cars past her.
—Frank Matt, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
One of the all-time greatest Stranger Things moments occurs when Dipshit Derek excitedly waves at his new best friend, Mike Wheeler.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
On Lake Huron, waves up to 17 feet high are expected Tuesday.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 16 Dec. 2025
When Charlene waves him off, indicating the plan was a trap, Chris’s world collapses.
—Jesse Raub, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waves
Noun
-
The choral elements on the record shine most vividly on the title track, which features polyphonic swells of voices humming melodies, overtaking the piano, dropping and then rising again.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The island nation, vulnerable to the whims of the Atlantic, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Danish firm Wavepiston to turn those crashing swells into a 50 MW power source.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The single, part of her new EP, DON’T, also signals a clear evolution in her artistry.—
Kristen Wisneski,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
-
At first glance, the message looks polished and uses official branding that signals credibility.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waves. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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