1
as in fluctuation
the frequent and usually sudden passing from one condition to another
fickle springtime weather in which there seemed to be an unceasing oscillation between unseasonable heat and unseasonable cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in vibration
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side
the precise oscillations of the quartz crystal that allows a quartz watch to keep such accurate time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oscillation
Mounting cosmic evidence DESI can measure what scientists call the baryon acoustic oscillation, or BAO, scale — essentially how events that occurred early in the universe left behind patterns in how matter is distributed across the cosmos.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
This escapement delivers two direct impulses to the balance with each oscillation, ensuring efficiency and a 72-hour power reserve.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
The researchers’ goal was to inject tracer dye into CSF at one point in the brain and then track its oscillations and dynamics while the mice slept.
—Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
The drug, tested on mice, restored these gamma oscillations, and in turn reconnected neurons to essentially heal the brain damage without arduous physical rehabilitation.
—New Atlas, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
This escapement delivers two direct impulses to the balance with each oscillation, ensuring efficiency and a 72-hour power reserve.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
The researchers’ goal was to inject tracer dye into CSF at one point in the brain and then track its oscillations and dynamics while the mice slept.
—Veronique Greenwood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
The drug, tested on mice, restored these gamma oscillations, and in turn reconnected neurons to essentially heal the brain damage without arduous physical rehabilitation.
—New Atlas, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oscillation
Noun
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X-ray radiation levels in the chamber were similar to those on the surface of Mars when there is strong solar activity, though solar flares and fluctuations in solar wind make actual Martian levels unpredictable.—
Elizabeth Rayne,
ArsTechnica,
19 Apr. 2025
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The sale is a striking reminder of just how competitive—and resilient—the downtown Manhattan real estate market remains, even amid broader market fluctuations.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These two factors may well cancel out, Dan Russell, a physicist at Penn State who studies baseball-bat vibrations, told me.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
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This technology uses a thin membrane in a magnetic field to create sonic vibrations.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Of course, not every change should be about trimming.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps the biggest change to bat manufacturing in recent decades happened in the 1990s, when Barry Bonds started swinging bats made from maple instead of ash, and the rest of the league followed.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oscillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oscillation. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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