Meaning & use
airwaves
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Meaning
nounplural
The radio waves used for broadcasting, or radio and television as a whole.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the' and a plural verb: The airwaves are full of ads.
Patterns
- on the airwaves
- over the airwaves
The song was played on the airwaves all summer.
His speech was broadcast over the airwaves to millions of listeners.
The airwaves are crowded with political advertisements before the election.
Common combinations
- on the airwaves
- Her new single is finally on the airwaves.
- over the airwaves
- The interview went out over the airwaves last night.
- fill the airwaves
- Talk shows fill the airwaves every morning.
- hit the airwaves
- The controversy hit the airwaves within hours.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- airwave noun
- A single wave used for broadcasting, rarely used in the singular.
Commonly confused: airwaves or air way?
airwaves vs air way
An airway is a passage for air, such as in the body or in mining. Airwaves are for radio signals.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Airwaves is plural and usually takes 'the' and a plural verb: The airwaves are... Option 0 has a singular verb, option 2 omits 'the' in a way that sounds unnatural, and option 3 uses 'an' with a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “airwaves”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.