Thesaurus results for MOTIONED

motioned

verb

past tense of motion

as in waved

to direct or notify by a movement or gesture the referee motioned the team captains to confer with him on the sideline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of motioned One person told police that Rodriguez was standing on the sidewalk outside the church when Rodriguez motioned for the person to fight him – after which Rodriguez approached and started swinging fists in his direction, according to court records. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 Councilor Jennifer Sigette motioned to keep the city meeting open so everyone would have a chance to comment, to no avail. — Gabriel Brito, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 26 Aug. 2026 After listening for several seconds, Gulbeyan motioned for arena security. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Faragna motioned to Nardulli to step to one side and spoke into his ear with circumspection. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026 Malonga motioned to the ground behind us and described his vision of an outdoor cooking arena for conferences and events, as well as a bakery, a butchery, and a cheese workshop. — Alicia Erickson, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 After lunging for the ball, Sonnett fell to the ground, grabbed her left knee and motioned to Gotham’s bench for medical assistance. — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The hub of the spaceship was too crowded and chaotic for communication, so Frank Kuligowski motioned his pal to the peace of a nearby corridor. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 26 July 2026 The regular working-class crew heading home for the day filed onto her bus when a supervisor popped by the front door and motioned to two teen girls. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for motioned

Verb

Santosh Kumar, 76, waved at the crowd from a float decked out with flags and white, orange and green streamers.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
When the video ended, a camera panned to Devers, who smiled and waved to his former fanbase.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of waved

Verb

The president gestured at Nathaniel Rai, a 10-year-old who was rescued from rough surf in Santa Cruz by lifeguard Ryder Williams, who sat across from him in the Oval Office.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
After all, as Lewis-Skelly gestured to those at the Emirates, home is where the heart is.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of gestured

Browse Nearby Words

motion

motioned

motioning

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Motioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motioned. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of motioned

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes