1
as in signs
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling
a teenager who often shrugs her shoulders in a gesture of indifference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
sent a handwritten thank-you note as a gesture of his gratitude
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in motions
to direct or notify by a movement or gesture
the police officer gestured me to the side of the road to tell me my headlight was out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gestures
Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
The models in all-black clothes walked closely behind their more colorful counterparts, mimicking their gestures and creating the illusion of a shadow.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Icks are sudden and visceral reactions to small behaviors or quirks, sometimes as trivial as the way someone laughs, gestures or expresses a preference.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Herzl gave a speech at Basel that rested mostly on universalist appeals to human civilization and history but also made several gestures toward religious inclusion.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Queen Elizabeth gestures to Princess Anne who was entering the doorway.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Sep. 2025
The company applies a sociological attention to the gestures and dilemmas of people’s daily routines; once harvested, these insights are quickly incorporated into product designs.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement In one of several choreographed gestures suggesting a special and intimate relationship between Russia and India, Putin gave Modi a ride in his presidential limousine to their bilateral meeting in Tianjin.
—Shyam Saran, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Clothing must not feature offensive language, obscene gestures/graphics, or nudity or clothing that does not sufficiently cover undergarments.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses come with the Meta Neural Band, an EMG wristband that allows users to control the device using hand gestures.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
The models in all-black clothes walked closely behind their more colorful counterparts, mimicking their gestures and creating the illusion of a shadow.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
Icks are sudden and visceral reactions to small behaviors or quirks, sometimes as trivial as the way someone laughs, gestures or expresses a preference.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Herzl gave a speech at Basel that rested mostly on universalist appeals to human civilization and history but also made several gestures toward religious inclusion.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Queen Elizabeth gestures to Princess Anne who was entering the doorway.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 16 Sep. 2025
The company applies a sociological attention to the gestures and dilemmas of people’s daily routines; once harvested, these insights are quickly incorporated into product designs.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement In one of several choreographed gestures suggesting a special and intimate relationship between Russia and India, Putin gave Modi a ride in his presidential limousine to their bilateral meeting in Tianjin.
—Shyam Saran, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Clothing must not feature offensive language, obscene gestures/graphics, or nudity or clothing that does not sufficiently cover undergarments.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gestures
Noun
-
Investors flocked to bonds because of signs of a slowdown in the labor market.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
On the flip side, secrecy triggers hypervigilance, where one partner obsessively scans for signs of deception or hidden threats, and naturally so given the suspicious nature of the matter.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There was a rush of gesticulations, with Greenberg speaking in English.—
Robert Sullivan,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After the Hunt star Andrew Garfield waves to attendees of the red carpet premiere of the film in Venice on Friday.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
In Lake Michigan, beach-goers from Manistee County south to Berrien County should beware of strong rip currents, waves up to 6 feet high and gusts reaching 25 knots (28 mph).—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These societies in southeastern Asia buried their dead mostly in flexed, tightly crouched, or squatting postures, often with traces of burning.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
If the message giver is experienced as coercive, conversations get derailed, often leaving the message receiver in awkward, if not hostile, postures.—
Matthew Mayhew,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Today, humility and curiosity are stronger signals of relevance.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The long-standing expectation was that these resonance signals would fade and become negligible as the momentum transfer increased.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gestures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gestures. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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