as in static
not moving
The deer stood there absolutely motionless, listening attentively.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar 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 motionless
At the sweet sound of the final whistle, Martin Odegaard rolled onto the turf and lay there motionless.
—
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Video from the scene showed Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters using a jack to raise the wreckage of a car off a motionless person and check for vital signs.
—City News Service, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid’s platform to avoid being targeted.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Some people threw themselves to the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection.
—Maria Verza, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
The usual sounds of practice, music, whistles, coaching, all stopped as Ibukun-Okeyode lay motionless on the ground.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
Videos circulating on social media showed driverless cars sitting motionless in active roadways, some blocking lanes and intersections.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The rest of his teammates, lined up near the halfway line, either fell to the floor or stood motionless as the home crowd erupted at the same time as the Italian players’ worlds came crashing down around them.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Alongside college basketball icon Bill Raftery, Hill sat motionless as the ball rattled in, hand over his mouth, at a complete loss for words.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Video from the scene showed Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters using a jack to raise the wreckage of a car off a motionless person and check for vital signs.
—City News Service, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
Another group of visitors lay motionless on the pyramid’s platform to avoid being targeted.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Some people threw themselves to the ground and lay motionless to avoid detection.
—Maria Verza, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
The usual sounds of practice, music, whistles, coaching, all stopped as Ibukun-Okeyode lay motionless on the ground.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
Videos circulating on social media showed driverless cars sitting motionless in active roadways, some blocking lanes and intersections.
—Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
The rest of his teammates, lined up near the halfway line, either fell to the floor or stood motionless as the home crowd erupted at the same time as the Italian players’ worlds came crashing down around them.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Alongside college basketball icon Bill Raftery, Hill sat motionless as the ball rattled in, hand over his mouth, at a complete loss for words.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motionless
Adjective
-
In the encyclopedia era, information was static and curated.—
Bruce Broussard,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
This is not a static business model.—
Kate Nishimura,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not noticeably different than any other basic frozen waffle.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Trees grew on the roof of the Polissya Hotel, which once housed nuclear scientists; at the Palace of Culture Energetik in the city’s center, frozen rain collected inside of a decrepit swimming pool.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the still-life composition, a cheeky visual lesson on the collision and convergence of cultures, the jar holds flowers, cactus and edible Mexican treats influenced by Chinese and Filipino flavors.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Simply substitute the still wine for Champagne or another sparkling option.—
Jerry & Krista Slater,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cut and stitched in Arusha, 10 tents—including two family suites—form a horseshoe from the main area, each filled with wooden furnishings crafted by local carpenters.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Nara Park is home to over 1,000 freely roaming sacred deer, and the Todai-ji Temple inside is the world’s largest wooden structure.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That means the device can produce a 100-inch image from less than a half foot away from a projector screen or blank wall, and a 200-inch image from less than two feet.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Gameweek 34 is going to be biggest blank gameweek in the Fantasy Premier League calendar this season, with just seven fixtures to pick from due to postponements for the FA Cup semi-finals.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motionless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motionless. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
