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
Last May, supporters of Donald Trump adopted the gesture when he was convicted of falsifying business records. Brad Wieners, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 Reciprocating in kind, even through small gestures like a reassuring touch on the back or a spontaneous hug, can reinforce their sense of being valued and understood. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
That Jabeur defeat also saw Tauson frequently becoming exasperated and gesturing angrily towards her coach. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025 Seven days before this interview, Tosca’s oldest brother, Elon Musk, spoke at Donald Trump’s inauguration and gestured in a way that many people, including some of Passionflix’s predominantly female audience, interpreted as a Nazi salute. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gesture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gesture
Noun
  • That includes preliminary trade data showing a record surge of goods imported into the U.S. — a sign of businesses bringing things in early to get ahead of the administration's tariff threats.
    Axios, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Retinol is touted as one of the best skin care ingredients for tackling dullness, acne, fine lines, dark spots, and signs of aging.
    Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The latest twist comes courtesy of Samsung Romania, which seemingly leaked an Android 15 timetable from the company’s Korean HQ on a Zoom call.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • According to previous reports, the streaming giant was allegedly reevaluating its awards season courtesies for Gascón, such as providing transportation and accommodations for events.
    Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 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
  • Carlee Patterson, 25, of Bristol faces two counts of misconduct with a motor vehicle and a single count of failure to obey a traffic control signal, according to Lt. Eric Hanson of the Bristol Police Department.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
  • If the unemployment rate remains at around 4% in upcoming reports, then its likely that some of these other economic signals prove to be a false alarm and that any dip in growth is perhaps due to more technical factors.
    Simon Moore, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Zelensky waved through the window to reporters as his motorcade left the White House grounds, concluding an explosive visit to Washington that did not go as planned.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Hundreds of supporters were there, waving German flags and singing the national anthem.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Republican lawmakers and national security experts have all called for a greater offensive posture.
    David Klepper, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The county must take an aggressive posture to clean up homeless encampments.
    John McCann, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Neighborhood theaters made attending movies a weekly or even daily ritual for audiences.
    Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Eating Chomps has become a faithful ritual for an average day.
    Andrew Watman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Musk also has a history of doing weird gesticulations on stage.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
  • As the bit continued, Gardner increased her wildly gesticulation and rising-and-bobbing out of her chair.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gesture. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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