as in flap
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down
the dog gave its tail a single wag before it flopped back down
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in comedian
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
some wag wrote a droll satire on the scandal for the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to flap
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the cat's tail wagged back and forth in annoyance
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to gossip
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature
tongues will wag as soon as word of the house's selling price gets around
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wag
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 17 June 2025
The su-paw-star Bruce is a one year and nine-month-old golden retriever who has had Washington fans’ tails wagging in recent days.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Noun
The direction of the wag matters, too—research suggests that dogs tend to wag more to the right when feeling positive and to the left when experiencing negative emotions.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Charles went up to Clark and wagged her finger in Clark’s face, and then Mabrey came over behind Clark and pushed her to the floor.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 17 June 2025
The su-paw-star Bruce is a one year and nine-month-old golden retriever who has had Washington fans’ tails wagging in recent days.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
-
One float depicted him as an outlaw, riding a motorcycle through a window to freedom; another showed his big ears flapping triumphantly in the wind.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
5 July 2025
-
The moths were still able to flap their wings freely and turn in different directions.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
Verb
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In the series’ signature shot, neighbors gossiped from their windows across the airshaft, their voices overlapping.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Small wonder that intelligence services had to work overtime gathering every scrap of information or even gossip to learn even the basics about another country's simple economic statistics – much less its secrets.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
His forlorn whale-eyes scanned left to right, eyebrows bobbing in turn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
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But what followed stunned him: Zoro bobbed up, paddling with ease.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
The sky burns orange, the neon-red open sign flicks off, and the Dream Bean goes dark.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
30 June 2025
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Screenshots from a June 16 TikTok video of a black cat attempting to wake up owner by flicking on the lights.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Sucked underground by an explosive whirlwind, DK must team up with a talking mineral named Odd Rock to prevent VoidCo from reaching the planet’s core, where legend says something has the power to grant wishes.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
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Through it all, Thune kept talking to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a moderate Mainer who blanched at the bill’s Medicaid cuts.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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But the humble protein powerhouse has never seemed to be able to shake the bad reputation.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
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But in that time of rounding corners only to find another door closed, my relentless hopefulness had finally been shaken.—
Kelsey Cox,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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The fearful pup stepped out to greet her, his tail twitching—his first show of trust in a long time.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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So instead, designers tweaked certain details, like twitching nerves under his skin and the iridescence in his scales.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Verb
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Then came the devastating diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes enlarged and weakened, leaving it unable to pump blood effectively.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
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Mize otherwise pumped his fastball to stay in advantageous counts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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