symbolic gesture
noun
: an act that has no purpose or effect other than to show support, respect, etc.
The president's visit was mainly a symbolic gesture.
Examples of symbolic gesture in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a symbolic gesture, Trump would seek to approve the Keystone Pipeline, an issue that was an environmental flashpoint and which was halted after Biden canceled a key permit on his first day in office.
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Jarrett Renshaw, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
The buoys, which came with a price tag estimated at $1 million, have emerged as more of a symbolic gesture than an actual deterrent to unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 15 May 2024
In Suzuki’s view, this suggested that the flutter was not a simple indication but, instead, a symbolic gesture—another item crossed off on the unique-to-human-language list.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Flanked by county officials and community leaders, David Baldwin turned over a pile of dirt with his shovel, a symbolic gesture decades in the making for this community south of Largo called Dansville.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
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Jarrett Renshaw, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
The buoys, which came with a price tag estimated at $1 million, have emerged as more of a symbolic gesture than an actual deterrent to unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 15 May 2024
In Suzuki’s view, this suggested that the flutter was not a simple indication but, instead, a symbolic gesture—another item crossed off on the unique-to-human-language list.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
Flanked by county officials and community leaders, David Baldwin turned over a pile of dirt with his shovel, a symbolic gesture decades in the making for this community south of Largo called Dansville.
—Kathryn Varn, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
Dictionary Entries Near symbolic gesture
Cite this Entry
“Symbolic gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic%20gesture. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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