as in bowing
bending downward or forward
some students, with nodding heads, were helplessly falling asleep during the boring lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of nodding
Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2021
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Somewhere, Belichick is remembering Gronk’s rookie season and nodding his head in agreement.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
But recently, Kennedy has seen an uptick in people listing hobbies again, nodding to their vintage Star Wars figurine collection or pickleball fever.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
In the footage shared by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the humanoid is seen smiling, nodding, making eye contact, and walking with a gait that closely resembles human movement.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
Benson says gently, nodding at Riley's visible eye makeup.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The Austin location is designed with custom artwork nodding to the city’s street art culture.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
In fact, some of her face-framing braids were half-way unraveled, nodding to other braid trends like goddess braids and the hybrid sew-in bob.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
Self clapped his hands and was on his feet nodding his approval over several key baskets down the stretch.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 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
The synth-heavy soundtrack is back, nodding to the greed-is-good eighties while evoking both an ultra-contemporary cool and an inhuman chill.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Somewhere, Belichick is remembering Gronk’s rookie season and nodding his head in agreement.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
But recently, Kennedy has seen an uptick in people listing hobbies again, nodding to their vintage Star Wars figurine collection or pickleball fever.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
In the footage shared by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the humanoid is seen smiling, nodding, making eye contact, and walking with a gait that closely resembles human movement.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
Benson says gently, nodding at Riley's visible eye makeup.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The Austin location is designed with custom artwork nodding to the city’s street art culture.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
In fact, some of her face-framing braids were half-way unraveled, nodding to other braid trends like goddess braids and the hybrid sew-in bob.
—Essence, 26 Jan. 2026
Self clapped his hands and was on his feet nodding his approval over several key baskets down the stretch.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nodding
Verb
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And many of them were side-stepping and bobbing along to a set by DJ Mace, who was also busting moves nonstop, even when the cameras weren't on him.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Meeks and cinematographer Stefan Weinberger pay special attention to the region’s natural beauty, repeating a single shot of a car bobbing over a two-lane highway amid vibrant green hills.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Figure skater Amber Glenn skated off the ice, shaking her head after an early landing bobble during today's competition.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
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Both physical strength and constant mental attention are required for this sport in order to control heart rate and shaking in the muscles.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Nov. 2025
-
No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
By pumping far more money into the economy on an on-going basis, the contemporary Fed has gone far beyond what the congressional creators of the original system had in mind in 1913.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Kagiyama highlighted Japan’s performances Saturday, pumping both fists after his program.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nodding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nodding. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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