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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wag
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026
The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.
—Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Helen Branswell, STAT, 14 Apr. 2026
Call it a tail-wagging twist on a classic casting call.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
Noun
The latest Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has some wag to it.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026
The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.
—Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Balkhy is also one of the people whose name is mentioned when chins start wagging about who will enter the race to be the next director-general of the WHO.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 14 Apr. 2026
Call it a tail-wagging twist on a classic casting call.
—Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
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Per the authors, when dolphins flap their tails up and down, the kicking motion pushes water backward and produces swirling currents of varying sizes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
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Emery will argue his fine-margins approach, however blunt Villa presently appear in attack, could have been validated if Ollie Watkins’ close-range shot was not straight at Stefan Ortega or if Lucas Digne had not flapped his arms inside the box to give away a penalty.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The column gossiped about which journalists and pundits did not pass the new purity test.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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What does a gossiping coffee do?—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The host of Watch What Happens Live and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise, Cohen is bobbing and weaving from one reality universe to the other in many different forms.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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Crews then raced to recover the astronauts aboard the vehicle, which bobbed for a few hours in the Pacific Ocean near California.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
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On the rush, Keller controlled the loose puck just inside the left circle and flicked a shot off the back post into the net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Two police officers talked a man off the top of the Gold Star Bridge security barrier during a mental health crisis on Sunday.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
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WeCount emailed letters to a number of major retailers asking to talk.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Even with only two-thirds of the lower bowl of Grand Casino Arena filled, the cheers of relief from the fans when Morin scored the game-tying and game leading goals shook the arena as if the place was packed full.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
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The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ruben Enikolopov, a research professor at the Barcelona School of Economics, explains that at the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin had low government debt and large reserves, and pumped money into the economy via military spending.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
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Anaheim stormed to a 3-1 series lead while pumping 20 goals past the Oilers, who looked slower and creakier than the Ducks.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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