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
Relevance
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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wag
Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This adorable costume looks poised to rule over The Masked Singer stage with a flick of her paw and a wag of her stumpy tail.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
The common room is lined with artwork and fake flowers (real flowers die, Max explains, when they’re frozen in ice); two little black dogs wag underfoot.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
Noun
The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.
—Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
This adorable costume looks poised to rule over The Masked Singer stage with a flick of her paw and a wag of her stumpy tail.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
The common room is lined with artwork and fake flowers (real flowers die, Max explains, when they’re frozen in ice); two little black dogs wag underfoot.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Plus the balcony is useful for intrigues and gossiping about the people below, as seen at Lady Danbury’s ball in season one of Bridgerton.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Lilian liked Anna, who was on the school board, knew what was going on, and gossiped matter-of-factly with neither pettiness nor zeal.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rare was the creative artist, post-1970, who wasn’t churned up by bobbing in the Beatles’ wake.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Muhar walked beside a pond at the Tejon Spreading Works, where ducks bobbed in the shallow water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the time the docuseries was made, Mark could only flick at that possibility due to a lack of evidence.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In the video, the snake flicks its tongue, a common sensory behavior used to detect chemical cues in the air and identify nearby prey or potential predators.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Miami Herald talked to 10 lawn care companies about how the change will affect their work.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When Sahelian countries tried to talk to their insurgents, France fiercely opposed it.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From Monday to Friday, the reception area will serve as a nutrition center for athletes, offering smoothies, protein shakes, granola and anything else an athlete could need.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
After an accidental explosion in a West Village bomb factory killed three Weathermen, those who survived, shaken by their friends’ deaths, swore off deadly violence.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The vocals twitch as a backflipping commotion takes over the streets.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
-
As the drugs started flowing, King began breathing heavily, his body twitching.—
DAVID FISCHER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drawing this degraded, sour crude is akin to pumping industrial poison through our midstream and downstream networks.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
There is no substitute for pumping oil from the ground and sending it directly to clients.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
