Synonyms

Mexican wave

British

noun

the rippling effect produced when the spectators in successive sections of a sports stadium stand up while raising their arms and then sit down

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Mexican wave

C20: so called because it was first demonstrated at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Mexican wave

In the distance, some did a Mexican wave to a Girls Generation song.

From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2024

"She was like a Mexican wave of joy throughout the hospital that preceded us," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2024

Other planned events include “the largest Mexican wave ever performed” and a “giant karaoke.”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2023

The Mexican wave in a stadium looks like a pattern traveling across the tiers.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2023

The tell-tale sign was when the first Mexican wave snaked round the stadium.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 28, 2018

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023