UNDULATING Synonyms: 98 Similar and Opposite Words

undulating 1 of 2

adjective

as in undulant

rising and falling in a wavelike pattern The undulating terrain was difficult to traverse on foot.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

undulating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of undulate

as in fluctuating

formal to move or be shaped like waves undulating hills an undulating surface

Related Words

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 undulating

Verb

Vietnam Nestled in Vietnam’s northern mountains, Sapa dazzles with emerald rice paddies dotted across undulating green hills. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 Imagine a 350-foot-tall orb that can be transformed into virtually anything, from a harvest moon rising over the Strip to a giant snow globe to a tank of undulating jellyfish. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026 Gardener Tomoki Kato crafted a multilayered landscape featuring undulating mounds, red pine trees, a weeping cherry tree, and a pond. — Joanna Kawecki, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026 An undulating white ceiling appears to float above bookshelves, reading areas and living trees. — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 The undulating synth lead seems tailored to mimic the tone and timbre of a classical Indian singer, a comparison borne out by the occasional flashes of vocal sample peeking through the mix. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026 In terms of beauty, Zendaya has swapped out her bixie—for now—and worn her XXL hair in undulating waves and twisted crown-like braids. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 July 2026 These waves can cause undulating cloud patterns, as well as turbulence. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026 During the Knicks’ victory parade, the undulating downtown crowd looked, from afar, not unlike a school of tropical clown fish. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 3 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for undulating

Adjective

Our drills included hours of seamlessly merging poetry with three chords, providing me with an undulant field to riff on.

— Patti Smith, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2025
As the undulant hills beyond the valley turned blue in front of me, a cat sauntered onto the veranda and wound its tail around my ankles.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025

Definition of undulant

Verb

There’s an Iran war that won’t end, heightening anxieties, plus fluctuating trade policies for those who deal with foreign goods or markets.

— Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
The researchers suggested that the cavity’s fluctuating electromagnetic field interacts with the superconducting state through virtual photons.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of fluctuating

Adjective

The sprawling space has its own TV and sofa pair alongside a roomy bed, along with design touches like a twinkling mirror on the ceiling and a wavy carpet.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026
Most of the brand’s launch campaigns have featured a range of straight, wavy, curly, and coily types; in 2024, its AirWash Dry Shampoo launch campaign included a model with braids.

— Ava Welsing-Kitcher, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of wavy

Verb

Those include point absorbers, oscillating water columns and attenuators.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
The show then veers back to early work, photographic transparencies with magazine transfers made in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, and continues, gallery by gallery, oscillating between different periods of the artist’s nearly six-decade career.

— Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of oscillating

Adjective

Corporate-conference season gets rolling and earnings models need freshening after summer.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
The Fall Frolic included a carnival, a vaudeville show, fireworks, an eight-mile rolling chair parade, a costume competition, a governor’s ball, and the two-day Inter-City Beauty pageant, which began on this day in 1921.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of rolling

Adjective

That is an unusually light amount of in-game preparation for a second-year quarterback learning a new offense, especially since Dart and the offense have had an uneven summer at best.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026
Together, these findings pointed to uneven conditions beneath the road.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of uneven

Verb

The midfielder was booked for waving an imaginary yellow card, shown a straight red for violent conduct and also gave away a goal.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The last sidebar called by the judge before lunch appeared intense, with Reddington seen waving his hands a few times.

— NBC News, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of waving

Browse Nearby Words

undulates

undulating

undulatory

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of undulating

adjective

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