1
as in greasing
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction
waxing a surfboard
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2
as in whipping
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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1
as in increasing
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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2
as in becoming
to eventually have as a state or quality
waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend
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Recent Examples of waxing
Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Just over a week later, Venus will appear above the waxing crescent moon, and below it, Jupiter and Mercury will be visible.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
The sight of a young moon close to a bright planet will be on offer about 45 minutes after sunset on March 20, when a 5%-lit waxing crescent moon will hang above the bright planet Venus.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Another way to cut through the noise is to use quantifiable, hard results rather than simply waxing poetic and generic.
—William Jones, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
Still, Leishman said interest in lighter-than-air ships has been cyclical, waxing and waning over time.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
Ohio State and Indiana are waxing everybody.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
For instance, men seem to lose more sleep during the waxing phase, while women experience slightly less deep and restful sleep around the full moon.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Not so at Brooklyn Horror, where Timms avoids taking credit and instead heaps praise on his organizers and volunteers… while waxing poetic on the redemptive quality of rats.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Elordi keeps his personal life out of the spotlight, rarely discussing his relationships in interviews—but waxing poetic on the subject of love is another story.
—Cite this Entry
“Waxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waxing. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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