wax 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of waxnext
1
as in to grease
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction waxing a surfboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to cream
slang to defeat by a large margin I can't believe I bet on a football team that ended up getting waxed 45-0

Synonyms & Similar Words

wax

2 of 2

verb (2)

1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the commitment of the young volunteers to the cause seems to wax and wane

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to become
to eventually have as a state or quality waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wax
Verb
The wild swings of recent weeks, driven by waxing and waning hopes for a lasting boost to corporate profits from artificial intelligence, have abated in the past several days. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 Haidt, who is the same age as the writer Bret Easton Ellis, waxes nostalgic for many of the freedoms enjoyed in Ellis’s 2023 novel, The Shards. — Rob Haskell, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 Jay McInerney waxed poetic about The Odeon in Bright Lights, Big City. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026 As training camp progresses, a lot of different factors wax and wane. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wax
  1. grease
  2. cream
  3. increase
  4. become
  5. oil
  6. whip
  7. rise
  8. get
Verb
  • Casseroles that bubble over and onto the racks and the holiday turkey that spatters grease all over the inside of your oven can make the need for cleaning more urgent.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The prime contractor will find subcontractors in as many congressional districts as possible to grease the skids through key committees.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of grease
Verb
  • Thick slices of day-old brioche soak up a rich vanilla custard of eggs, milk, and cream before being pan-fried in butter until crisp and deep golden outside, while staying tender and custardy within.
    — Alexia Duchêne, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Many bakers will appreciate the additional richness and performance of the butter without any challenges or compromise when creaming into sugar.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of cream
Verb
  • Traffic through the strait is beginning to increase, but remains sharply depressed.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Boston increased its lead to 6-4 in the sixth on an RBI triple from Abreu when right fielder Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a line drive.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Protect a focus window, communicate one adjustment, and let rest become part of the strategy.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Yermolaiev has lived in the glitzy city state on the Mediterranean coast for several years, having left Ukraine and renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 to become a citizen of Cyprus.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of become
Verb
  • Bulloch notes skipping oiling the grates is another common mistake.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Botero uses the Hair & Scalp Oil for traditional Ayurvedic hair oiling treatments.
    — Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of oil
Verb
  • If a recipe calls for 1 cup (unwhipped) whipping cream, substitute 2 cups whipped dessert topping, such as Cool Whip.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The first drops of espresso are vigorously whipped with sugar into a thick espumita froth inside the cup, before the rest is poured in, causing the caramelly-brown foam to rise to the top.
    — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With five minutes of task-specific data and 10 gradient steps, its average success rate rose to 83%.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Police had initially tried to pull over Shelton's vehicle, a 2006 Honda Civic, near Rodney Parham Road and Mississippi Street, but the vehicle fled through several streets and got away, Little Rock police said in a news release.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The service got its name from the original Mechanical Turk, an 18th century chess-playing robot that was actually controlled by a human chess master.
    — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of get

Phrases Containing wax

Browse Nearby Words

wavy
wax
waxed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wax. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on wax

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wax

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All