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
The computer simulations enabled the team to break down those different sizes, revealing that the initial tail oscillations produce large vortex rings that generate thrust, and those larger ones then produce many more smaller vortices.
—
ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
The team took advantage of the phase difference between the two oscillations to turn the ILO into a kind of frequency-to-phase converter circuit.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
Two airflow outlets on either side of the loop can be configured for 0, 45, or 90 degrees of oscillation action.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
That is an oscillation of the Moon, causing parts near the edge of the disc that are often not visible from the Earth to sometimes come into view.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
ArsTechnica, 2 May 2026
The team took advantage of the phase difference between the two oscillations to turn the ILO into a kind of frequency-to-phase converter circuit.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
Two airflow outlets on either side of the loop can be configured for 0, 45, or 90 degrees of oscillation action.
—John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
That is an oscillation of the Moon, causing parts near the edge of the disc that are often not visible from the Earth to sometimes come into view.
—Ray Petelin, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oscillation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oscillation
Noun
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El Niño, which is a natural cyclic fluctuation, is just one driver of such record-breaking heat.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
17 June 2026
-
The company uses long-term contracts that mimic regulated returns, avoiding the fluctuations customary in deregulated markets.—
Conor Harrison,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Some users report vibrations after 10,000 miles.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
And just the vibration, too, of these cranes right next to it.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
South Korea made one change, moving in Kim Moon-hwan.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
Ecuador had few scoring changes in its loss to Ivory Coast.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
-
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Noun
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All the trembling, as Kimbangu touched the sick, alarmed European settlers and reassured the plantation workers who trekked to Nkamba in search of healing.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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At first this change of scale vivifies the butterfly—its brief stillness, the angle of its wings, its trembling—while freezing everything else, including the novel’s action.—
Ben Lerner,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oscillation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oscillation. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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