gesture 1 of 2

1
as in sign
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling a teenager who often shrugs her shoulders in a gesture of indifference

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2

gesture

2 of 2

verb

as in to motion
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture the police officer gestured me to the side of the road to tell me my headlight was out

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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 gesture
Noun
This is a matter of complementary craft; of two great listeners and communicators bringing rapture to every gesture. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025 Back in January, Musk sparked controversy with a gesture that drew comparisons to the Nazi salute while speaking at an inaugural event for President Donald Trump. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
Russian officials called his release a good-will gesture. David Leonhardt, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025 With Mayers’ partner Rihanna watching from the front row, Lewin repeatedly gestured toward Mayers. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gesture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gesture
Noun
  • When the discussion plunges as deep as Gary Mabbutt and Swap Shop, that’s a sure sign that the game is not as enticing as normal.
    Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • As expected, the bass, middle, and treble all go to 11, but the master volume has a new special feature — an infinity sign.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Towson trimmed the deficit to 49-42 with 13:04 remaining courtesy of an 8-2 burst.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Jacob and Sophie’s teacher realizes there’s a problem, and puts together an impromptu lesson on basic courtesy in bathrooms.
    Sarah Hoffman and Ian Hoffman, TIME, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As the running back motioned across the formation, Howard faked a handoff to him and instead pitched the ball to receiver Emeka Egbuka, who followed his blockers on a simple counter play.
    Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Amazon motioned to dismiss both counts of the complaint on Jan. 17, but Judge Kevin Castel denied the request.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • These three signals work together like the leaves of a shamrock.
    Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The pullbacks in nonessential areas like restaurants and airline travel signals consumers might be turning their concerns about the economy into tighter budgets.
    Austin Denean, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Cage posed, waving for cameras, on the same day his ex Christina Fulton dismissed him from an assault lawsuit against their son, Weston Coppola Cage, 34.
    Sharareh Drury, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The video transitions to a scene where the present-day Bad Bunny is seen running through a field, proudly waving the Puerto Rican flag, before arriving at a local community gathering.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This allows security teams to prioritize threats and focus on addressing the most critical threats first, strengthening their overall defense posture.
    Kathleen Walch, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Make use of heads up or posture protector apps that remind you not to bend your neck.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • McCray is accused of punching Wilson in the chest multiple times as part of a hazing ritual for the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, according to investigators.
    Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Create rituals that become nonnegotiable: morning walks to school, Sunday pancakes or being the one who tucks them in at night.
    Jennifer Kamara, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Darius was also quite good but went a little too over the top with his gesticulations to come off sincere.
    Charlie Mason, TVLine, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Musk also has a history of doing weird gesticulations on stage.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019

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Cite this Entry

“Gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gesture. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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