as in flapping
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as in motioning
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
waved them over to the side of the road
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Recent Examples of waving
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Some 65,000 fans reveling in SDFC’s six goals scored and vibing off the supporter groups’ chants, drum-banging and flag-waving.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025
Males and females both wave their legs and the waving was not related to courtship or competition.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The dozens of signs waving in the cold winter air all expressed different concerns as people protested near Livernois Road and Walton Boulevard in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Yasin Akgul—Getty Images Madrid A number of protesters have been congregating in the Spanish capital, with many waving anti-regime flags.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Kumail Nanjiani caught up with his Fallout co-star Aaron Moten while Shari Belafonte from The Morning Show surveyed the scene from a plush gold sofa, waving to Victoria Tate.
—Rachel Marlowe, Vanity Fair, 11 Jan. 2026
In downtown Boulder, demonstrators lined Broadway and Canyon Boulevard, waving signs and chanting.
—Adria Iraheta, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
As chants echoed across the parking lot, cars driving past honked repeatedly, some drivers raising fists or waving through open windows.
—Reginald David, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Hundreds demonstrated in cities including Caracas, Trujillo, Nueva Esparta and Miranda, many waving Venezuelan flags.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
Blessed with lots of open land, UCSD has been waving students through the door over the past decade, increasing enrollment by more than 12,000.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
Assuming whatever creature birthed from a spider egg was also a shapeshifter would even allow the show to bring back everyone’s favorite dancing clown in a modern-day context without too much hand-waving.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Some 65,000 fans reveling in SDFC’s six goals scored and vibing off the supporter groups’ chants, drum-banging and flag-waving.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2025
Males and females both wave their legs and the waving was not related to courtship or competition.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Images shared by Bakersfield Search & Rescue appear to show the hiker — who was bundled up in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, puffer coat and hat — smiling and waving as someone photographed him after the rescue.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 13 Jan. 2026
The dozens of signs waving in the cold winter air all expressed different concerns as people protested near Livernois Road and Walton Boulevard in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Yasin Akgul—Getty Images Madrid A number of protesters have been congregating in the Spanish capital, with many waving anti-regime flags.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Kumail Nanjiani caught up with his Fallout co-star Aaron Moten while Shari Belafonte from The Morning Show surveyed the scene from a plush gold sofa, waving to Victoria Tate.
—Rachel Marlowe, Vanity Fair, 11 Jan. 2026
In downtown Boulder, demonstrators lined Broadway and Canyon Boulevard, waving signs and chanting.
—Adria Iraheta, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
As chants echoed across the parking lot, cars driving past honked repeatedly, some drivers raising fists or waving through open windows.
—Reginald David, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Hundreds demonstrated in cities including Caracas, Trujillo, Nueva Esparta and Miranda, many waving Venezuelan flags.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2026
Blessed with lots of open land, UCSD has been waving students through the door over the past decade, increasing enrollment by more than 12,000.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waving
Noun
-
For insect-sized robots, the weight of a battery powerful enough to sustain continuous flapping often exceeds the robot’s own lifting capacity.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The man whom Navarro likes to call the Boss seems to value insincere, or bought, obeisance—the flapping and fussing of a maître d’—more than heartfelt fandom, which lacks the piquancy of humiliation.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The next play offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called involved a couple of players motioning.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2025
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Virgin-Morgan then was motioning toward officials, but nothing was called by the crew.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And so too is his slightly flailing, vaguely desperate, going-for-it run, typified by his hair falling out of place and the sense that this man is fundamentally, for all his money and celebrity, some guy trying to get from one place to another.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
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Morant appears to be at odds with Memphis brass, and has already been suspended by his own flailing team once this season for appearing to question his head coach.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As two other agents rushed toward her window, gesturing at her and trying to open the vehicle’s door, Ross walked to the front of her vehicle.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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The footage, posted initially to Marzilli's Instagram account @emgonewild, begins with the free-diving instructor and her friends in full dive gear, screaming and gesturing at each other on the water's surface with big smiles on their faces.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waving. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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