new wave

noun

variants often New Wave
Synonyms of new wavenext
1
: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques
2
: a new movement in a particular field
3
: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics
4
: dernier cri
especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous
new-wave
ˈnü-ˈwāv How to pronounce new wave (audio)
ˈnyü-, 
-ˌwāv
adjective
new waver
ˈnü-ˈwā-vər How to pronounce new wave (audio)
ˈnyü-
noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco
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.
Trade talks between Washington and Ottawa ended abysmally in late August, spurring a new wave of tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of consumer goods. — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 As new waves of feminists confronted different issues, some became exasperated by Steinem’s seemingly perennial role as the face of the women’s movement. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The attack in Kenscoff has generated a new wave of public outrage in Haiti and condemnation from abroad. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Pattaya underwent another evolution in the 1990s, with a new wave of tourists coming from what had been the Soviet Union, after communism there collapsed in late 1991. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for new wave

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of new wave was in 1960

Rhymes for new wave

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Browse Nearby Words

new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
new wave
New Westminster
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Cite this Entry

“New wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20wave. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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