: one of a series of short sharp turns, angles, or alterations in a course
also
: something having the form or character of such a series
a blouse with green zigzags
endured the zigzags of policy —
Richard Bernstein
Richard Bernstein
: in or by a zigzag path or course
: having short sharp turns or angles
a zigzag trail
zigzagged; zigzagging
: to form into a zigzag or move along a zigzag course
: to lie in, proceed along, or consist of a zigzag course
Examples of zigzag in a Sentence
Noun
The kids were running in circles and zigzags around the yard.
He's wearing a shirt with red zigzags on it.
Verb
We saw a motorcycle zigzagging on the highway.
The player with the ball zigzagged back and forth down the field.
A dirt road zigzags up the steep hill to our cabin.
Recent Examples on the Web
Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 18 May 2025
Refresh with the unconventional A contemporary take on zigzags that take bathroom design from predictable to provocative.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025
Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023
Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
Even Kamala Harris, maybe especially Harris, fits that insider image, and certainly Gavin Newsom, despite zigzagging from centrist to pugilist, can’t forward his presidential ambitions as anything but old-guard.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zigzag
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Pipe a zigzag bed of aioli onto each piece of bread.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 18 May 2025
Refresh with the unconventional A contemporary take on zigzags that take bathroom design from predictable to provocative.
—Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Any number of odd, zigzag examples can be used to make the case that legislative districts in Wisconsin are excessively gerrymandered.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023
Verb
The hotel, which cuts a hill-hugging zigzag silhouette from the road down to the forest floor, occupies the site of the valley’s former post office, where 19th-century craftsmen would catch up while shipping their mechanisms to Geneva.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
Even Kamala Harris, maybe especially Harris, fits that insider image, and certainly Gavin Newsom, despite zigzagging from centrist to pugilist, can’t forward his presidential ambitions as anything but old-guard.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for zigzag
Cite this Entry
“Zigzag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zigzag. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
zigzag
1 of 4 noun
zig·zag
ˈzig-ˌzag 
: one of a series of short sharp turns, angles, or changes in a course
also
: something having the form or appearance of such a series
zigzag
2 of 4 adverb
: in or by a zigzag path or course
zigzag
3 of 4 adjective
: having short sharp turns or angles
zigzag
4 of 4 verb
zigzagged; zigzagging
: to form, move along, or consist of a zigzag course
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share