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
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
  • 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
  • No eyeball-grabbing videos, no partisan commentary or agenda, and none of the edge or snark that greases the gears of the perpetual-political-outrage machine.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of greases
Verb
  • Instead of floating crosses in, Saka either whips his deliveries low near the six-yard box or works a slightly more central position to cut the ball back with a firmer connection.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The vessel bends, blocks, and whips the wind into complex micro-currents before the air ever hits the sails.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
Definition of whips
Verb
  • Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently as little as 257 feet, soon to be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.
    — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Firejet production also increases Beyond collaborative combat aircraft, the expansion will increase production of Kratos’ Firejet family of aerial target systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026
Definition of increases
Verb
  • Jockey Steve Cauthen becomes the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major derbies after winning the Irish Derby with Old Vic.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • When these five components operate as a unified system, technology becomes an asset rather than a collection of disconnected purchases.
    — Damini Sood, Forbes.com, 2 July 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
  • 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
  • To demonstrate, Ejae smiles to form creases below her eyes, then dusts some brown powder onto the area.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of dusts
Verb
  • And by the 12th year, this number rises to $113,000, exceeding the median salary for graduate degree-holders in the state, according to the data released by the UC’s Institutional Research and Academic Planning department.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Timeline Tuesday, July 7-Thursday, July 16The last-quarter moon rises around midnight on July 7, leaving the evening sky dark and beginning July’s best stargazing window.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of rises
Verb
  • All the chairs are light enough to move around easily, as the group of guests grows and migrates.
    — Rory Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026
  • The count of executive chairs grows slowly while the value concentrated in each one climbs.
    — Sue Mysko, Forbes.com, 1 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of waxes for Spanish Speakers

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