as in applauses
enthusiastic and usually public expression of approval
received a standing ovation for the masterly performance
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Recent Examples of ovations
Performances of the song by school a cappella groups have been met with strongly positive reactions and standing ovations.
—
Caché McClay, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Hensley and Anderson obviously had plenty of fans in the building and got the loudest ovations.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Rapt attention, followed by a kind of collective gathering of breath, followed by long ovations.
—Lauren Kane, The New York Review of Books, 7 Mar. 2026
But the night didn’t belong to just Flagg, a Maine native who grew up cheering for the Celtics and drew loud ovations from family, friends and fans who made the trip down to see him.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Chaka Khan received two standing ovations.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Four of their own are council members and the two up for reelection — Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez — received standing ovations after their impassioned speeches.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The crowd gave some of its loudest ovations for the hometown favorite Williams, who is coming off elbow surgery and did not perform in last week's season opener at Minnesota, and Frankie Price, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury at last year's NCAA Regionals.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026
Caché McClay, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Hensley and Anderson obviously had plenty of fans in the building and got the loudest ovations.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Rapt attention, followed by a kind of collective gathering of breath, followed by long ovations.
—Lauren Kane, The New York Review of Books, 7 Mar. 2026
But the night didn’t belong to just Flagg, a Maine native who grew up cheering for the Celtics and drew loud ovations from family, friends and fans who made the trip down to see him.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Chaka Khan received two standing ovations.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Four of their own are council members and the two up for reelection — Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez — received standing ovations after their impassioned speeches.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
There were tears, cheers, a few standing ovations (for Michelle Satter and Amy Redford), a surprise performance by Patti LuPone, and a slew of awards presented during a nearly three-hour fundraiser held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
The crowd gave some of its loudest ovations for the hometown favorite Williams, who is coming off elbow surgery and did not perform in last week's season opener at Minnesota, and Frankie Price, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury at last year's NCAA Regionals.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ovations
Noun
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Coco continued to draw applauses and laughs while talking about women showing up to church in high heels and lace.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Released more than a year before the war in Gaza became front page news, Mo received critical acclaim for its portrayal of Palestinian culture and the refugee experience.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
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Todd Helton is his favorite Rockies player, and whoever can step up this season to help fulfill Polis’ long-odds prediction of a wild card berth will also earn his acclaim.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ovations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ovations. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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