as in bowing
bending downward or forward
some students, with nodding heads, were helplessly falling asleep during the boring lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bobbing
to make short up-and-down movements
though she couldn't see the rain, she knew it had started because she could see the flowers nod as raindrops hit them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nodding
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
Nike sneakers emblazoned with the Haitian flag, nodding to her Haitian roots.
—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Formalwear embraced a relaxed attitude, with most of the blazers coming collarless, or with mandarin collars and kimono-inspired, paired with looser-fit trousers nodding to pajamas.
—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
22 June 2026
From set pieces, Norway looked giant, with Leo Ostigard nodding in their third goal from a Martin Odegaard corner.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Architect Hugo Toro’s design is best described as neo-Pullman, clearly nodding to the brand’s trains with Art Deco–style mirrors and deep, rich colors.
—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
Burke has pleaded not guilty and followed the Wednesday hearing intently, nodding along as the judge spoke.
—
Nancy Dillon,
VIBE.com,
17 June 2026
The pianist Víkingur Ólafsson played the aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, nodding to the fact that Gehry was born Ephraim Goldberg, in Canada.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Queen Camilla made a small update for the 2026 event, switching out her black hat with a black feather for a similar style adorned with a white feather, nodding to the Grenadier Guards’ bearskin hats.
—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Adjective
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.
—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
Miller’s exact dress from Debute London, which features a bustier top, lace trim, and a short hemline, is a great example of the details that turn the trend more contemporary, while still nodding to its nostalgic, charming nature.
—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
3 July 2026
Nike sneakers emblazoned with the Haitian flag, nodding to her Haitian roots.
—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Formalwear embraced a relaxed attitude, with most of the blazers coming collarless, or with mandarin collars and kimono-inspired, paired with looser-fit trousers nodding to pajamas.
—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
22 June 2026
From set pieces, Norway looked giant, with Leo Ostigard nodding in their third goal from a Martin Odegaard corner.
—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2026
Architect Hugo Toro’s design is best described as neo-Pullman, clearly nodding to the brand’s trains with Art Deco–style mirrors and deep, rich colors.
—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
Burke has pleaded not guilty and followed the Wednesday hearing intently, nodding along as the judge spoke.
—
Nancy Dillon,
VIBE.com,
17 June 2026
The pianist Víkingur Ólafsson played the aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, nodding to the fact that Gehry was born Ephraim Goldberg, in Canada.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Queen Camilla made a small update for the 2026 event, switching out her black hat with a black feather for a similar style adorned with a white feather, nodding to the Grenadier Guards’ bearskin hats.
—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodding
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Verb
-
Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
-
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
Verb
-
This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
-
An earth-shaking roar The World Cup finally arrived in Kansas City after several years of preparation and anticipation.
Verb
-
Conversations struck up while pumping gas or waiting for coffee.
-
Firefighters deployed to the Turkey Creek pumping station and tried desperately to keep the engine room dry.
Cite this Entry
“Nodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodding. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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