1
as in flapped
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
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2
as in talked
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
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Recent Examples of wagged
The dog of outdoor adventures for seriously ill children was not, in other words, being wagged by the tail of the popular salad-dressing company.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
In the immediate aftermath of West Ham United’s controversial loss to Arsenal, captain Jarrod Bowen launched the protests at the officials, Tomas Soucek and Callum Wilson pleaded for answers, while an incandescent Mads Hermansen repeatedly wagged his finger and had to be ushered away.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 11 May 2026
In response, Estabrook wagged his finger toward the Bombers’ bench in the fourth inning.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
After his score was announced Tuesday, Malinin’s coach, Rafael Arutyunyan, confidently wagged a single finger in the air.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
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
The once-weak puppy woke up with new energy—and even wagged her tail for the first time.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
His dog, Bull, wagged his tail and sniffed at the patch of browning grass under his paws.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
In the immediate aftermath of West Ham United’s controversial loss to Arsenal, captain Jarrod Bowen launched the protests at the officials, Tomas Soucek and Callum Wilson pleaded for answers, while an incandescent Mads Hermansen repeatedly wagged his finger and had to be ushered away.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 11 May 2026
In response, Estabrook wagged his finger toward the Bombers’ bench in the fourth inning.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
After his score was announced Tuesday, Malinin’s coach, Rafael Arutyunyan, confidently wagged a single finger in the air.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
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
The once-weak puppy woke up with new energy—and even wagged her tail for the first time.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
His dog, Bull, wagged his tail and sniffed at the patch of browning grass under his paws.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagged
Verb
-
Kerolin’s head was down and eventually so was Shaw’s, her run stopped, arms flapped against her side.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, divorce rings have emerged as one of fine jewelry‘s most talked-about categories, transforming symbols of the past into pieces of personal reinvention.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
-
Instead, Mahan and his wealthy Silicon Valley backers talked themselves into a rushed and premature campaign that was never remotely competitive.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The enthusiasm was apparent as the catamaran bobbed around the future site of Pier Wind, which recently received a $20-million grant from the California Energy Commission.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Yellow dandelions bobbed in the breeze.—
Maggie Slepian,
Longreads,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
And then, as if a switch had been flicked, Alamo’s tone changed again.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Hull went closest on the stroke of halftime when McBurnie’s header flicked off a Middlesbrough defender and clipped the top of the crossbar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The column gossiped about which journalists and pundits did not pass the new purity test.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
One student was determined to get high-fives from a reporter, and students gossiped about gaining fame in the local paper.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Tolle shook off his short last outing and did his part to keep the Orioles off the board.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
That famous summer, at the fireworks in Versailles, every streaking green flame shook a sheet of light across the crowd sitting on blankets on the lawns.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wagged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagged. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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