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
ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
But the flag-waving takes on a different meaning in his tweet, making Sosa part of the propaganda machine.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The flag-waving, the face paint, the pugnacious songs, the banners, the bellicose taunts at the opponents, the arms flung out in unison foster a collective spirit that can turn violent at times.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Flag waving, immigration restriction, and culture-war rallying cries can shore up the MAGA-tech coalition, but more will be needed to achieve lasting success.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
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
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The suspect drove through several freeways while waving at officers before entering the 91 Freeway in the Downey-Norwalk area to make his way to LA County.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The area is gridlocked with traffic with people returning to check on their homes and Hezbollah supporters zooming around on scooters and waving the militant group’s flag.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Placard-waving hecklers who supported Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee for president, tried to interrupt Lady Bird’s speeches at many of the stops.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
With soaring eagles and an American flag waving in the background, the image shows the president touching the head of a gray-haired man as if to heal him.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
In Budapest, Hungarians thronged the bank of the Danube across from the city’s majestic neo-Gothic parliament, cheering, waving flags and popping Champagne.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The couple reciprocated the warm welcome, waving and smiling to everyone in sight.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Nearly all get delivered by McKellen’s Julian, waving a champagne coupe while monologuing about humidifiers, cancel culture and a doctor who smells like radishes.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
It also has been roiled by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, stirring protests outside the venues and forcing organizers to clamp down on political flag-waving.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
But the flag-waving takes on a different meaning in his tweet, making Sosa part of the propaganda machine.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The flag-waving, the face paint, the pugnacious songs, the banners, the bellicose taunts at the opponents, the arms flung out in unison foster a collective spirit that can turn violent at times.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Flag waving, immigration restriction, and culture-war rallying cries can shore up the MAGA-tech coalition, but more will be needed to achieve lasting success.
—Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
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
The area was gridlocked with traffic, with people coming back to check on their homes and Hezbollah supporters zooming on scooters, waving the group’s flag.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
The suspect drove through several freeways while waving at officers before entering the 91 Freeway in the Downey-Norwalk area to make his way to LA County.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
The area is gridlocked with traffic with people returning to check on their homes and Hezbollah supporters zooming around on scooters and waving the militant group’s flag.
—Will Clark, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Placard-waving hecklers who supported Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee for president, tried to interrupt Lady Bird’s speeches at many of the stops.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2026
With soaring eagles and an American flag waving in the background, the image shows the president touching the head of a gray-haired man as if to heal him.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
In Budapest, Hungarians thronged the bank of the Danube across from the city’s majestic neo-Gothic parliament, cheering, waving flags and popping Champagne.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
The couple reciprocated the warm welcome, waving and smiling to everyone in sight.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Nearly all get delivered by McKellen’s Julian, waving a champagne coupe while monologuing about humidifiers, cancel culture and a doctor who smells like radishes.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waving
Noun
-
With the skin flapping, his words, not mine, the medical staff went full MacGyver on Buckberger.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Somatic shaking can look a little different from one person to the next, but usually involves a few minutes of wildly uncoordinated jumping, arm flapping, and foot stomping.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Soler and López began trading words, with López seemingly motioning at Soler to do something.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The federal government intensified efforts to expand family detention indefinitely by motioning to terminate a cornerstone policy ensuring the protection of immigrant children in federal custody.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For all his bobbing and flailing, and sensitive shaping of the music, conductor Christian Capocaccia evinced little attention to singers.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But his role was not to fix a flailing business, but, rather, to keep a roaring flame alive.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Smith positions the avenging goddess in a horror-show hall of mirrors, with a closed-circuit video feed focused on Vindicatrix’s upraised arm gesturing in oath.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Suddenly Bieber was dancing around, trading fun glances with his fellow-artists, finally gesturing toward the usually obvious fact that a concert might also be an uncomplicatedly good time.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waving. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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