FANNING Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

fanning

verb

present participle of fan

as in igniting

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

as in oscillating

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanning

Verb

Containment on the Bryson fire, which has scorched 147 acres near Encinal Canyon Road since igniting on Thursday, increased to 52% Saturday morning.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Another wildfire to the south has burned more than 3,000 acres near the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton since igniting Thursday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

— Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of igniting

Verb

Anthropic updates its policies to bar users being cruel to Claude, inflaming a debate about whether the company’s concern for ‘model welfare’ is wise.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Relying on remote technical collection could also avoid inflaming opposition by field officers who may not be prepared to take great personal risks to help the private sector.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of inflaming

Verb

The observer at the edge of the dance-floor, secretly swaying with the rhythm.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
But the man simply stood there with a dazed expression on his face, swaying gently in the living room of their small, cramped flat, like a lone tree in the breeze.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of swaying

Verb

Pandemic closures slashed membership by 55%, triggering a $40 million revenue collapse in 2020 that forced leadership to freeze hiring, defer capital projects, draw on reserves and adjust lender terms.

— Chase Jordan October 14, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
The store owner was in Israel at the time, triggering a yearslong extradition process.

— Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of triggering

Verb

At the conclusion of an English-language service interspersed with hymns in Arabic, the priest introduced Salazar, who stood up in the front row, smiling and waving.

— Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
Small protests were also held in financial capital Mumbai and tech hub Bengaluru, while student organizations held a demonstration in the eastern city of Patna, with people waving flags of their organizations and pushing against police barricades.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of waving

Verb

This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

Definition of kindling

Verb

Coming for a variety of longtime critics of the merger, opposition rose and suspicion about the settlement served to pour gasoline on an already flicking fire.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
He’s getting hit sometimes, and just flicking this ball out there.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of flicking

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.

Browse Nearby Words

fannies

fanning

fanning (out)

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Style

“Fanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanning. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fanning

verb

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