as in waving
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
the referee motioned the team captains to confer with him on the sideline
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of motioning
Anunoby was having another strong game Wednesday before appearing to suffer a leg injury and motioning to come out of the game.
—
ABC News, 8 May 2026
Anunoby was having another strong game Wednesday before appearing to suffer a leg injury and motioning to come out of the game.
—Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 7 May 2026
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
With the game well out of reach and 10 seconds to play, Tre White dunked — despite Self motioning from the sideline to dribble it out.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Good appears to be motioning to them with her hands.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Virgin-Morgan then was motioning toward officials, but nothing was called by the crew.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Nov. 2025
Before motioning for the resolution to be adopted, District 14 Ald.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 8 May 2026
Anunoby was having another strong game Wednesday before appearing to suffer a leg injury and motioning to come out of the game.
—Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 7 May 2026
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
With the game well out of reach and 10 seconds to play, Tre White dunked — despite Self motioning from the sideline to dribble it out.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2026
Good appears to be motioning to them with her hands.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Virgin-Morgan then was motioning toward officials, but nothing was called by the crew.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Nov. 2025
Before motioning for the resolution to be adopted, District 14 Ald.
—April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motioning
Verb
-
During the game, the camera highlighted the couple, and their daughters quickly took the opportunity to make their presence known by waving towards the big screen, per E!—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Instead, it is filled with a froth of virtual particles becoming real in pairs, waving to us, annihilating each other, and sinking back into the soup of virtual particles.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Leaning over the side of a small speedboat, Jhon Cantillo scoops up a thick clump of bright green vegetation, holding it up before gesturing toward the horizon, where the plant spreads across the waters as far as the eye can see.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
There was at times much gesturing about his hands.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motioning. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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