1 B1 neutral
To use a hand gesture to allow someone to pass through a barrier, checkpoint, or gate.
"The border guard glanced at our passports and waved us through."
separable
wave through
B2 neutral separable transitive
To signal with a wave for someone to pass through, or to approve something quickly without careful scrutiny.
In plain English
To wave your hand to tell someone they can pass, or to approve something without really checking it.
What does "wave through" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To approve a proposal, plan, or piece of legislation quickly and without thorough examination.
"The committee waved through the budget without asking a single question."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wave someone through a gate or barrier — transparent and directly related to the figurative sense.
Actually means
To wave your hand to tell someone they can pass, or to approve something without really checking it.
Usage tip
Common in both physical contexts (border control, traffic) and figurative ones (approving legislation or proposals too easily). The figurative sense is widely used in political and journalistic discourse.
Words that pair with "wave through"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
border checkpoint customs legislation proposal bill guard driver
How to conjugate "wave through"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wave through
I/you/we/they
3rd person
waves through
he/she/it
Past simple
waved through
yesterday
Past participle
waved through
have + pp
-ing form
waving through
continuous
Hear "wave through" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wave through" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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