symbolic gesture
noun
: an act that has no purpose or effect other than to show support, respect, etc.
The president's visit was mainly a symbolic gesture.
Examples of symbolic gesture in a Sentence
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From the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University through Centennial Park to the steps of the State Capitol, people linked arms in a symbolic gesture hoping the togetherness would inspire change in Tennessee's gun laws, which have not seen change since the March 27, 2023 tragedy.
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Rosalind Bowling, The Tennessean, 28 Mar. 2024
In a symbolic gesture, Trump would seek to approve the Keystone Pipeline, an issue that was an environmental flashpoint and which was halted after Biden canceled a key permit on his first day in office.
—Jarrett Renshaw, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
The buoys, which came with a price tag estimated at $1 million, have emerged as more of a symbolic gesture than an actual deterrent to unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 15 May 2024
In Suzuki’s view, this suggested that the flutter was not a simple indication but, instead, a symbolic gesture—another item crossed off on the unique-to-human-language list.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
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Rosalind Bowling, The Tennessean, 28 Mar. 2024
In a symbolic gesture, Trump would seek to approve the Keystone Pipeline, an issue that was an environmental flashpoint and which was halted after Biden canceled a key permit on his first day in office.
—Jarrett Renshaw, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
The buoys, which came with a price tag estimated at $1 million, have emerged as more of a symbolic gesture than an actual deterrent to unlawful immigration.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 15 May 2024
In Suzuki’s view, this suggested that the flutter was not a simple indication but, instead, a symbolic gesture—another item crossed off on the unique-to-human-language list.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for symbolic gesture
Dictionary Entries Near symbolic gesture
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“Symbolic gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symbolic%20gesture. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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