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
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Recent Examples of motioned
Attorney Lynn Johnson stood before jurors in a Kansas City, Kansas, courtroom Tuesday afternoon and motioned to a metal device on wheels that was sitting in front of them.
—
Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Prior to closing arguments, Hunter’s other lawyer, Eben Self, motioned for an acquittal by arguing there was no evidence Green was even killed in Orange County, which Chief Circuit Judge Lisa Munyon quickly denied.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Then, when pressed if he's officially booked or not, the actor motioned that his lips are sealed.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Shawn Iles, 3rd, was also poised to reject the proposal before Burns’ motioned to table the discussion.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
The photographer motioned her over, and took her picture.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Ohtani watched the ball, flipped his bat and motioned with both hands to teammates in the third-base dugout.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Francis hopped to the stage and motioned to his co-producers, Fred Roos and Gray Frederickson, to give their speeches first.
—Paul Fischer, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
After about an hour, Diana motioned to her protection officer.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
Prior to closing arguments, Hunter’s other lawyer, Eben Self, motioned for an acquittal by arguing there was no evidence Green was even killed in Orange County, which Chief Circuit Judge Lisa Munyon quickly denied.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Then, when pressed if he's officially booked or not, the actor motioned that his lips are sealed.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Shawn Iles, 3rd, was also poised to reject the proposal before Burns’ motioned to table the discussion.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
The photographer motioned her over, and took her picture.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Ohtani watched the ball, flipped his bat and motioned with both hands to teammates in the third-base dugout.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Francis hopped to the stage and motioned to his co-producers, Fred Roos and Gray Frederickson, to give their speeches first.
—Paul Fischer, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
After about an hour, Diana motioned to her protection officer.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motioned
Verb
-
In one image, a radiant Kiara waved at the camera, Joel’s hands cradling her belly.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The Reds waved the white flag in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, sending catcher Jose Trevino to the mound as the sacrificial pitcher.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some gestured, comically, at their excitement at helping to reform Saudi society.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The inequalities of the art world are gestured to as fact.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Konecny ripped off his helmet and dropped his gloves and beckoned Rust to fight him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Syracuse began as an ancient Greek settlement nearly 3,000 years ago, and its beauty has beckoned both travelers and empires for centuries (Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, and Norman, to name a few).—
Michele Becker,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motioned. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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