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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Some states weaponized vouchers to resist integration, and this scheme began making waves across the American South in the 1950s and ’60s.
—Erykah Nava, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
In combat scenarios, multiple A400Ms could launch large waves of missiles.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
But in Fort Lauderdale, City Manager Rickelle Williams is reportedly making waves by initiating rapid, sweeping changes in her first year on the job.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
This year there are six start waves of runners outside the professional division, up from four last year.
—CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Tsunami waves hit Japan after major earthquake A warning message on a screen in Tokyo from a live feed from broadcaster NHK shows a tsunami alert, after an earthquake hit northern Japan on Monday.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Later, an outdoor spa treatment—set to the soundtrack of crashing waves—completed the transition into full vacation mode.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
Sentences contain particles of meaning that resist being pinned down and measured, instead combining and transforming into mysterious waves of story that take us beyond the limits of our own horizons.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
At the end of the video, Williams proposes to Laufey as her guest stars watch on with vacant expressions — even as the Grammy winner waves her hands in front of their faces.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Based on the Tacoma pickup, the midsize 4Runner still waves the flag for the traditional SUV fans who want real off-road performance.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The snowy-haired Scot waves me into the passenger seat of his Can-Am Traxter with a huge grin and navigates us through the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town, famously anchored by mainland Britain’s most remote pub, the Old Forge.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
The eye-catching structure is made up of rippling waves of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, giving the front-facing rooms semi-circle window nooks from which to take in the panoramic city views.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026
Some states weaponized vouchers to resist integration, and this scheme began making waves across the American South in the 1950s and ’60s.
—Erykah Nava, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
In combat scenarios, multiple A400Ms could launch large waves of missiles.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
But in Fort Lauderdale, City Manager Rickelle Williams is reportedly making waves by initiating rapid, sweeping changes in her first year on the job.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
This year there are six start waves of runners outside the professional division, up from four last year.
—CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Tsunami waves hit Japan after major earthquake A warning message on a screen in Tokyo from a live feed from broadcaster NHK shows a tsunami alert, after an earthquake hit northern Japan on Monday.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Later, an outdoor spa treatment—set to the soundtrack of crashing waves—completed the transition into full vacation mode.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
Sentences contain particles of meaning that resist being pinned down and measured, instead combining and transforming into mysterious waves of story that take us beyond the limits of our own horizons.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar waves a Hungarian flag after delivering his victory speech in Budapest on Sunday.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
At the end of the video, Williams proposes to Laufey as her guest stars watch on with vacant expressions — even as the Grammy winner waves her hands in front of their faces.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Based on the Tacoma pickup, the midsize 4Runner still waves the flag for the traditional SUV fans who want real off-road performance.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
The snowy-haired Scot waves me into the passenger seat of his Can-Am Traxter with a huge grin and navigates us through the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town, famously anchored by mainland Britain’s most remote pub, the Old Forge.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waves
Noun
-
Only the swells from the clusters of UConn fans could be heard by the end of their 71-62 victory in the national semifinals.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Just offshore, 50 surfers caught swells.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These artists’ success signals a growing appetite abroad for Asian entertainment – most evident in the popularity of K-pop, with megastar groups like BTS and Blackpink drawing in Western audiences while blending contemporary beats with traditional Korean culture.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The announcement signals a potential diplomatic breakthrough after the prospect of further peace negotiations between the warring powers appeared to stall out earlier this week.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waves. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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