as in to flap
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the rabbit waggled its ears and hopped away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waggle
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2023
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—
Susan Slusser,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Mar. 2023
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
The crimson tips of giant tube worms waggled in the current, tangling around clusters of mussels.
—
Maya Wei-Haas,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Noun
The silence of the forest might be interrupted with a siren salute from a passing law enforcement helicopter, or a wing waggle from firefighting aircraft passing en route to a fire.
—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2023
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—
Susan Slusser,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Mar. 2023
Verb
Pointing at his own eyes, pointing at someone else’s eyes, whipping it left, whipping it right, waggling it to his lips.
—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
The crimson tips of giant tube worms waggled in the current, tangling around clusters of mussels.
—
Maya Wei-Haas,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
Noun
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In addition to protecting you from wind and cooler temperatures, Quince’s version is also water-repellent, has a storm flap for ventilation, and is packable enough to throw in a bag without adding excess weight or taking up too much space.
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In the mitt biz, this is broken down into the categories of mitten (looks like a large winter mitten); pincer, which has the thumb flap directly opposing the other fingers like a hand puppet (which is why they’re also called puppet mitts); and glove, which separates all five fingers.
Verb
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A little jump follows and the heel of your front foot flicks the ball into the air.
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The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.
Noun
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Ever since the infamous finger-wag at LSU, Clark has dominated Angel Reese.
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Moreover, if Griffin stepped into public life now, the cynical wags in finance would declare the reason obvious—his hedge fund’s returns have been sagging.
Verb
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There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
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Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
Noun
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These walls, activated by shooting a switch, permanently block pathways for the remainder of the round, dynamically altering gameplay.
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And perhaps most significantly Iran has discovered this new muscle, the use of turning the Strait on and off with the flip of a switch.
Verb
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The pendulum never really swung away from maximizing shareholder value.
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The turnover swung the momentum in Minnesota’s favor.
Noun
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Give it a wiggle and the rhinestones obligingly flip right-side up, ready to be picked up.
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The bolt that holds the rack to the trailer hitch receiver gets nice and tight, eliminating the wiggle and clang-and-bang that an old hand-me-down rack tends to have.
Verb
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The Western Ghats mountains tumble down the west coast of India like a breaking wave, swishing through six states and across nearly 1,000 miles.
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When the play ends, as Kris Jenkins bends over a bit at the waist to watch his work of art swish its way into history, Mikal Bridges dashes onto the court and Josh Hart full scale piggy backs onto Phil Booth.
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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