1
as in flapping
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 gossiping
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 wagging
Tongues set to wagging about whether the iconic bad boss at its center was really based on legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour — in some circles, anyway.
—
Staff Author, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Díaz disagreed, wagging his figure at the flag-bearer, and a VAR check confirmed Bayern could begin the celebrations.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Jake is wagging his tail and headed toward the door.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The video footage Koch shared on Instagram captures every tail-wagging second of the homecoming.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
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
This might threaten unrelieved angst weighing down a 90-minute drama, or, maybe worse, a didactic, finger-wagging life lesson lecture.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
In a brief closeup from an earlier tournament game, Mara was shown wagging his tongue in celebration … or was that in revenge?
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Staff Author, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Díaz disagreed, wagging his figure at the flag-bearer, and a VAR check confirmed Bayern could begin the celebrations.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Jake is wagging his tail and headed toward the door.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
The video footage Koch shared on Instagram captures every tail-wagging second of the homecoming.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
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
This might threaten unrelieved angst weighing down a 90-minute drama, or, maybe worse, a didactic, finger-wagging life lesson lecture.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
In a brief closeup from an earlier tournament game, Mara was shown wagging his tongue in celebration … or was that in revenge?
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
Verb
-
And that jockey was flapping and flapping about the top of his horse, lookin’ like a chicken—elbows jumping this way an’ that, but the horse was spent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Smaller birds darted around, their small wings flapping rapidly.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What does a gossiping coffee do?—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
-
But for the most part, the ladies will just be themselves, gabbing (and gossiping) away.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Each node resembles a huge steel sphere bobbing on the water with a tube-like structure extending vertically down beneath the surface.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2026
-
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
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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This could be the bookworm equivalent of jet setting, perhaps—seeking out the places we’re taken to while flicking the pages.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wasserman was the evening’s major speaker and arrived at the event as reporters were talking to Cherfilus-McCormick.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
Schrage was talking, of course, about AI agents, those software programs created to autonomously take action on your behalf and interact with other humans or programs.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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This is a type of life support that does the work of the heart and lungs, pumping blood outside the body through a machine that oxygenates it using a microporous membrane that allows for gas exchange.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
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The first conclusion is that all groundwater users pumping from the Floridan Aquifer are in part responsible for declining flows at the many hundreds of artesian springs in Florida.—
Robert Knight,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Structure information summary Most structures in this region are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
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About 180,000 people experienced light to strong shaking, according to the USGS.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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