make waves

phrase

: to create a stir or disturbance
… continues to make waves with his unique, highly opinionated approach.—Suzanne Biallot

Examples of make waves in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For an easy, everyday look, pair a cropped version with straight-leg blue jeans and trendy sneakers, then add a touch of luxury with elbow-length leather gloves—an accessory that first made waves last spring. — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026 Still, in a field stacked with loyal second bananas like John Leguizamo and Sam Rockwell, Garfield’s demon-twink millennial makes waves all on his own. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 Raki made waves by publicly endorsing CMS candidates before his tenure was up, including two who were running for Nunn’s and Easley’s seats. — Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026 Fox holds domestic rights, while Fremantle is hoping this one will make waves abroad, having already sold to a number of key Prime Video territories. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for make waves

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of make waves was in 1962

Rhymes for make waves

See All Rhymes for make waves

Browse Nearby Words

make water
make waves
make way
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Make waves.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20waves. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All