waxes 1 of 2

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of wax
1
as in greases
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction waxing a surfboard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whips
slang to defeat by a large margin I can't believe I bet on a football team that ended up getting waxed 45-0

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waxes

2 of 2

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of wax
1
as in increases
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the commitment of the young volunteers to the cause seems to wax and wane

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in becomes
to eventually have as a state or quality waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 waxes
Verb
Haidt, who is the same age as the writer Bret Easton Ellis, waxes nostalgic for many of the freedoms enjoyed in Ellis’s 2023 novel, The Shards. — Rob Haskell, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 The account, SamServed, has posts that date back to November of last year, in which Smith waxes poetic about a Copenhagen restaurant called Kebabistan. — Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026 In his op-ed reflecting on the texts, the secretary takes to task the Westminster establishment that allowed Mandelson’s selection, but also waxes philosophical about sexism, diversity, and inclusion. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026 At the start of the interview, Hartley recounted his famous scene with Hahn, 52, from 2017's A Bad Moms Christmas, in which Hahn's character, Carla, waxes his character's crotch. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waxes
  1. greases
  2. whips
  3. increases
  4. becomes
  5. oils
  6. dusts
  7. rises
  8. grows
Verb
  • Rectitude is a hindrance in the game of electoral politics, where money greases the slippery pole and glad-hands welcome the winner with inside information.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • View this post on Instagram Access greases the gears of the entire apparatus by creating its own positive feedback loop, like an ouroboros of exclusivity.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of greases
Verb
  • Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Green whips out his phone with the fluid motion of a digital native and snaps a photo.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of whips
Verb
  • Treating these as separate challenges increases cost and complexity over time.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • As the bleak second law of thermodynamics states, entropy always increases over time in a closed system.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • Researchers can model what happens if copper prices increase sharply or if a newer technology becomes commercially viable years from now.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In this future, the scarce asset would be not the chatbot, but the device, operating system, and personal context through which the chatbot becomes useful.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of becomes
Verb
  • Ramakrishnan typically oils her hair twice a week before washing it.
    — Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of oils
Verb
  • Winter is also a wonderful surprise, when soft snow blankets valley trails and dusts the mountaintops.
    — Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
  • Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower.
    — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Definition of dusts
Verb
  • The agreement comes as electricity demand rises across the United States, driven partly by expanding data centers, manufacturing and electrification.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Dyerville Loop Road begins along the Eel River in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, then rises into the foothills of Humboldt County, California before dropping back down to the river near Fort Seward.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • When Brolin’s voice takes on a ghostly presence inside the whale, the emotional insistence grows louder without becoming more persuasive.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Albemarle is likely to bounce back as lithium demand grows, according to Mizuho.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of grows

Browse Nearby Words

waxen
waxes
waxing
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Cite this Entry

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

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