The phrase "a mere gesture that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action that is insignificant or lacking in substance, often implying that it is done for show rather than genuine intent.
Example: "The apology was a mere gesture that failed to address the real issues at hand."
Alternatives: "a token gesture that" or "a superficial act that".
Or, put another way, what blame if any accrues to A for a mere gesture that, as she claims, she had no intention of following through?
By comparison, Foursquare's presentation was bare bones— a mere gesture that at some point in the near future Foursquare will find a way to take advantage of Places.
It states: "What appears to be planned is a mere gesture to show that the US president meant what he said when he warned that 'consequences' would flow from crossing his red line… MPs should remember their special duty to Britain's national interest and to their own constituents, most of whom want nothing to do with another foreign war".
They can also try to calm people down and be careful not to get so close to a suspect that a mere gesture might cause tragedy.
Ordinarily, that might seem like a mere gesture, but the lack of security and the mood of disrespect did not exist in a vacuum.
Signs a person may be suffering from erotomania include: A mere gesture, smile or kind word is turned into a belief that the person is secretly in love with the erotomania sufferer.
This is not a mere gesture of solidarity, it is empowerment with education, compassion, and a clear message that we are the United States, and we will remain so against all attempts to divide us.
By now it is a vestige, a mere gesture.
So he decided, initially as a mere gesture, to send his forces ostentatiously into the Sinai peninsula.
A woman is as "young and slight as a watercolor, a mere gesture of bones and features".
The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in Juba says a face-to-face meeting - even as a mere gesture - would be a game changer in the conflict.
