zigzag
noun
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Definition of zigzag
(Entry 1 of 4)
: 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 Bernsteinzigzag
adverbDefinition of zigzag (Entry 2 of 4)
: in or by a zigzag path or course
zigzag
adjectiveDefinition of zigzag (Entry 3 of 4)
: having short sharp turns or angles a zigzag trail
zigzag
verbDefinition of zigzag (Entry 4 of 4)
: to form into a zigzag or move along a zigzag course
: to lie in, proceed along, or consist of a zigzag course
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Other Words from zigzag
Noun
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adjective
Synonyms for zigzag
Synonyms: Verb
dodge, duck, jink, sidestep, slalom, weave
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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: Noun
Photos and video published by CNA and by witnesses on Facebook show the train’s white and red carriages splayed out in a zigzag pattern along a bend in the track. — Josh Chin, WSJ, "Taiwanese Passenger Train Derailment Kills 18," 22 Oct. 2018 Emily Evans Eerdmans: The first thing that jumped out at me is the jazzy zigzag in the living room. — Emily Evans Eerdmans, House Beautiful, "Designer Christina Murphy on Decorating a Colorful Park Avenue Apartment," 6 May 2012 Analysts said the decision to exclude China is another zigzag in the Trump administration's relations with Beijing, which has veered from controversy to accommodation, sometimes day by day. — David S. Cloud, latimes.com, "Pentagon bars China from joining naval exercise in the Pacific," 23 May 2018 Photo: Alice Gao High Style A zigzag-shape island from Belgium kitchen manufacturer Obumex has light-reflecting bands of solid copper or brass, brushed oak cabinetry and a black lava-stone countertop. — Karen Bruno, WSJ, "Kitchen Islands Emerge as Luxury Home Must-Have," 5 July 2018 The Los Angeles Conservancy, which sued over the 229-unit project, had argued that 8150 Sunset could be designed in a way that preserves the bank building, known for its zigzag roof and other features. — David Zahniser, latimes.com, "Court OKs demolition of Hollywood building for Frank Gehry project, dealing a blow to preservationists," 28 Mar. 2018 The mood was solemn and subdued as those in attendance filed peacefully through a zigzag of stanchions filling the center floor. — New York Times, "XXXTentacion Is Mourned by Thousands at a Memorial in Florida," 27 June 2018 With one of the most popular World Cup kits in recent memory, Nigeria has grabbed plenty of eyeballs in Russia with its stylish zigzag jerseys. — Connor Grossman, SI.com, "The Story Behind Nigeria's Vibrant World Cup Jerseys," 25 June 2018 One of the first people to pull off this feat, a photographer from Philadelphia named William Nicholson Jennings, explicitly set out to prove the inaccuracy of the conventional lightning zigzag. — Steph Yin, New York Times, "Do You Know What Lightning Really Looks Like?," 11 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Made from narrow, zigzagged raffia tape, this mega-hat is easy to pin or scrunch back, so the face is visible and less communal space is taken. — Linda Dyett, The Seattle Times, "Hats are big this summer. Really, really big," 16 Aug. 2018 Choose from one of the courses developed for children that include tunnels, zigzag bridges and swinging logs with zip-lining at the end. — Colleen Creamer, New York Times, "36 Hours in Chattanooga," 24 May 2018 Next, Brown took me to see a robotics elective in another sunny room, where a dynamic teacher named James Robertson zigzagged among tables while bright-eyed kids diligently built little machines. — Daniel Duane, WIRED, "How the Startup Mentality Failed Kids in San Francisco," 28 June 2018 People walking several dogs, skateboarders and the bicyclists zigzagging on sidewalks all had to be avoided, too. — Josh Max, New York Times, "When a Vegan Gets Gout," 5 July 2018 But near the zigzagging imaginary line that crosses the bay and marks the Virginia border, the Chesapeake broadens to 30 miles. — Earl Swift, Outside Online, "The Incredible True Story of the Henrietta C.," 20 June 2018 It can be folded to create a makeshift corral against a wall, zigzagged to define awkward spaces, or folded up small for easy storage. — Stephanie Granada, Sunset, "10 Stylish Pet Furniture Picks," 22 Jan. 2018 There’s also time to kick back each day when kids can zigzag through the corn maze or navigate the obstacle course built from tractor tires. — Anne Schamberg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Farming out the kids: Gathering eggs, milking cows, cooking teach about country life," 3 July 2018 The Crazy Lives of Hydrothermal Vents 1 / 5 View Images Vents are found where continental plates meet, forming 40,000-mile-long mountain ranges or ridges that zigzag up and down the middle of the world's ocean basins like a giant zipper. — National Geographic, "Smoking Ocean Vents Found in Surprisingly Shallow Water," 21 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zigzag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for zigzag
zigzag
noun
English Language Learners Definition of zigzag
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a line that has a series of short, sharp turns or angles
zigzag
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of zigzag (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move along a path that has a series of short, sharp turns or angles
See the full definition for zigzag in the English Language Learners Dictionary
zigzag
noun
\
Kids Definition of zigzag
(Entry 1 of 4)
1 : one of a series of short sharp turns or angles in a line or course
2 : a line, path, or pattern with a series of short sharp angles
zigzag
adverbKids Definition of zigzag (Entry 2 of 4)
: in or by a line or course that has short sharp turns or angles He ran zigzag across the field.
zigzag
adjectiveKids Definition of zigzag (Entry 3 of 4)
: having short sharp turns or angles
zigzag
verbKids Definition of zigzag (Entry 4 of 4)
: to form into or move along a line or course that has short sharp turns or angles Both kids took off, zigzagging around trees and bushes.— Blue Balliett, Chasing Vermeer
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