as in undulant
rising and falling in a wavelike pattern
The undulating terrain was difficult to traverse on foot.
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as in fluctuating
formal
to move or be shaped like waves
undulating hills an undulating surface
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Recent Examples of undulating
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The center is engraved in a pattern of undulating rays emanating from the hour and minute guichets (windows), meant to resemble the edges of clouds pierced through with sunlight.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2026
These pink cat-eye French tips are framed by an undulating gold chrome outline.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Set at an elevation of over 1,706 feet, the farm's undulating hills were lined with what seemed like endless rows of verdant tea bushes.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
But a handful still survive — routes that don’t carve a straight line but follow the meandering, undulating contours of the land.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The GableStage production, lovingly directed by Cruz, begins with a full moon casting its light on a shimmering, undulating ocean, the first of many breathtaking projections by Jamie Godwin.
—Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
Styled by Rose and Mackenzie Grandquist, Jenner wore a cream halterneck made of undulating ruffles, paired with a swishy, double-layer black and cream skirt that cascaded into a liquidy train.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2026
Few have such personality as this one with its thick frame and undulating border.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
While it was made in the ‘90s, the collection (which showed slip dresses, shirts with undulating ruffles, and jacquard silk jackets constructed to look permanently burst-open) was inspired by the romance between Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
The center is engraved in a pattern of undulating rays emanating from the hour and minute guichets (windows), meant to resemble the edges of clouds pierced through with sunlight.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2026
These pink cat-eye French tips are framed by an undulating gold chrome outline.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Set at an elevation of over 1,706 feet, the farm's undulating hills were lined with what seemed like endless rows of verdant tea bushes.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026
But a handful still survive — routes that don’t carve a straight line but follow the meandering, undulating contours of the land.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The GableStage production, lovingly directed by Cruz, begins with a full moon casting its light on a shimmering, undulating ocean, the first of many breathtaking projections by Jamie Godwin.
—Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
Styled by Rose and Mackenzie Grandquist, Jenner wore a cream halterneck made of undulating ruffles, paired with a swishy, double-layer black and cream skirt that cascaded into a liquidy train.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2026
Few have such personality as this one with its thick frame and undulating border.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulating
Adjective
-
Our drills included hours of seamlessly merging poetry with three chords, providing me with an undulant field to riff on.—
Patti Smith,
New Yorker,
1 Nov. 2025
-
As the undulant hills beyond the valley turned blue in front of me, a cat sauntered onto the veranda and wound its tail around my ankles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Joy Neumeyer What do the far right’s fluctuating fortunes in Poland suggest about countries seeking an off-ramp from autocracy?—
Leah Downey,
The New York Review of Books,
7 Feb. 2026
-
In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi had several posts on X highlighting its event contracts on Antetokounmpo’s trade market and the fluctuating odds connected to the teams believed to be in the mix for his services.—
Jay Cohen,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has spent the past week oscillating wildly between threats of war and offers of peace.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Duzsik tosses and turns, oscillating between what feels like sincerity and his awareness that he’s being manipulated.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
At her Halloween wedding, Rainey Qualley brought drama and ease to her wedding day hairstyle by pulling her naturally wavy hair half back.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The machine printed out a set of wavy black lines on pink graph paper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the early swooning over Newsom suggests, some voters’ hearts are fluttering over the prospect of his candidacy.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That’s the end result of an odd, hilarious scene that took place during the first period at UBS Arena, when Islanders forward Bo Horvat went to play a puck behind the Pittsburgh net and was joined by a small bird that was fluttering near the ice surface.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Researchers have developed a mathematical framework to design knee-like joints in robots, called rolling contact joints.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, that does not stop Glenn from proudly waving and exchanging Olympic pins adorned with the trans pride flag.—
Jasmine Wynn,
Time,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Seahawks fans were spotted climbing light poles, lighting fireworks, waving flags and causing other kinds of pandemonium in Seattle.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite substantial investment, outcomes remain uneven, and access to alternatives is often constrained by income.—
Carol Platt Liebau,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Bets on economic resilience have recently fueled gains in companies that tend to benefit from improving growth prospects, the latest data underscored the uneven labor market characterized by limited numbers of overall dismissals and lackluster hiring.—
Rita Nazareth,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Undulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undulating. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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