zag

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: one of the sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a zigzag course
b
: one of the short straight lines or sections of a zigzag course at an angle to a zig
2

zag

2 of 2

verb

zagged; zagging

intransitive verb

: to execute a zag
usually contrasted with zig

Examples of zag in a Sentence

Verb the crowd roared as the clown on the bicycle zagged while the other clowns, in hot pursuit, zigged
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There were even special infomercial tools designed solely for crafting the ultimate zigs and zags, though my wavy-haired self never had much success with them. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 30 Aug. 2023 What was particularly interesting Sunday night was how Hilary’s eye then made a sudden zag to the west — from the Inland Empire to the heart of Los Angeles. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023 Beyond the zig zag, aerial footage shows more than a dozen other cars are seen upturned along railroad tracks that lead into a split wooded area. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, USA TODAY, 9 June 2023 Priced from $10 to $75, the brand’s debut collection includes hair styling clips, zig zag headbands, a detangling brush, neoprene cases and organizers, a puffy tote bag and a 1.25-inch triple-barrel hair waver. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2023 Although mere minutes from wine country, and home to the palatial Korbel Champagne Cellars, Guerneville zigs where the rest of the region zags. Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2023 The vacuum has four cleaning modes (auto, zig zag, spot, and edge), which can be used to access different areas and target specific cleaning needs. Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2023 Some zig while the Zags zag. San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2021 Miranda starts to say before making zig-zags with his hands. Nick Romano, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2023
Verb
The muscles are big, the hair is bigger, and the story zigs and zags with thrilling abandon, especially when the bodies start to pile up. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2024 Zig zag down toward the water to enjoy views of the lighthouse, the river, and the George Washington Bridge. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2024 Where humans zag, Adina zigs: hating the Beatles, believing Yoko the true artist. Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024 Miniaturization could also aid China’s development of hypersonic warheads that would zig and zag to evade U.S. defenses. William J. Broad, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 As Edelman zags from his main story into some of his many digressions, the stools stick around, acting as a thematic anchor. Vulture, 27 June 2023 The eminently walkable city, in spite of streets that zig and zag, is also increasingly bike-friendly. Stacey Lastoe, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Sep. 2023 Super agent Ari Emanuel — whose sports and entertainment powerhouse Endeavor is not part of the AMPTP, unlike Disney, Paramount and Netflix — was able to zag from his fellow moguls. Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2023 Creators can zag away from that by being flat-out weird, as in Beetlejuice; relentlessly exuberant, as in Legally Blonde; or introspective, as in Groundhog Day. Theater Review Aug. 3, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

zigzag

First Known Use

Noun

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zag was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near zag

Cite this Entry

“Zag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zag. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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