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
Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
This is not about taking the wag out of the puppy’s tail.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Major League Baseball wagged a finger with one hand and palmed gate receipts and a new TV deal in the other.
—Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Noun
One wag at the end of the table says that computer science is no longer the ticket to riches, too much vibe coding and artificial intelligence, then another says that management consulting is over, the AI grunts will do the basic MBA work.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2025
This is not about taking the wag out of the puppy’s tail.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Her body became stiff, alert, and her ever-wagging tail dropped low.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
Major League Baseball wagged a finger with one hand and palmed gate receipts and a new TV deal in the other.
—Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
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A little way down the bank, a hoatzin flapped awkwardly in dense foliage.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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Their wings, a bit weighted down by water, flapped as the float rolled.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Did everyone gossip about Cheryl Hines and her husband?—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
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And what exactly are people gossiping about — and suing one another over — in the Hamptons?—
Curbed Staff,
Curbed,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Whether Moore’s strands are banged, bobbed, buzzed, permed or waved, she will always be known for her long, jet-black hair.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Above the crowd, posters still bobbed.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The suspect poured gasoline on the girls as well as both officers, flicked a lighter and set the room ablaze.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
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This means that every once in a while, if the wind gusts just right (or wrong), your breath may still get flicked up onto your glasses.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brandon asked her out the next day, and the pair spent hours talking on a Ferris wheel during their first date.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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People with respiratory viruses who have high-risk conditions or who live in households with high-risk individuals should talk to their healthcare professional about taking antiviral medications to treat the virus or prevent transmission.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The crime was not the only one that shook the state over the weekend.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Jan. 2026
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Isabel initially thought the sounds shaking her surroundings were thunder.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, Huff at his best has good bend and some twitch to his game.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Their usefulness remains an open question At the back of a conference hall at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, a humanoid robot twitched through a preprogrammed wave for a crowd of cell phone cameras—a classic scene of high spectacle and unclear utility at CES.—
Eric Sullivan,
Scientific American,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Arizona’s current groundwater law, adopted in 1980, limits pumping in Phoenix, Tucson and other urban areas.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Plus, pumping the calf muscles during heel raises increases lower leg circulation.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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