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
Next to our two enormous dogs, this new addition with short legs and a tail that never stopped wagging was the true cosmic newcomer.
—
Steven Rowley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Carousel of Progress’ animatronic family — headed by John and Sarah — will remain, including Uncle Orville and Rover, the dog with the ever-wagging tail.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
But in Croisette conversations about potential runners, riders and rovers, one mutt kept wagging its tail.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 22 May 2026
Dakota, a 3 ½-year-old Australian shepherd mix, bounced into the ring, her tail wagging.
—Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Tax savings are real, but when the tax tail starts wagging the family dog, reversibility quietly disappears.
—Royce Ramey, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Her epic Valentine’s Day rant had tongues wagging for weeks.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 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
Steven Rowley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Carousel of Progress’ animatronic family — headed by John and Sarah — will remain, including Uncle Orville and Rover, the dog with the ever-wagging tail.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
But in Croisette conversations about potential runners, riders and rovers, one mutt kept wagging its tail.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 22 May 2026
Dakota, a 3 ½-year-old Australian shepherd mix, bounced into the ring, her tail wagging.
—Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Tax savings are real, but when the tax tail starts wagging the family dog, reversibility quietly disappears.
—Royce Ramey, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Her epic Valentine’s Day rant had tongues wagging for weeks.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
Verb
-
The slot formerly occupied by a performance from the Commodores will now be filled with the sound of a lone Gadsden flag flapping on its pole.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
The fathers, faces ruddy, prayed in Latin for her soul, black robes flapping in the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Islanders spend their days gossiping, working out, playing games and participating in the show's challenges.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
-
What does a gossiping coffee do?—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
While the view from my balcony, overlooking yachts bobbing in the marina and Table Mountain further beyond, was lovely, nothing compares to the two-bedroom Cape Grace suite, with its panoramic perch over the mountain and harbor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Many of the jurors were seemingly shaken by Gavin’s appearance in the film; others were seen bobbing their heads and dancing in their seats during sections featuring Jackson's music.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Kamara found it a couple of hours before kick-off when flicking through a copy of the matchday programme.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
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
Verb
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In a loss, OpenAI could face pressure to implement remedies like age-gating free ChatGPT accounts to protect kids, shutting down conversations that discuss violence and suicide, and removing features that the state says deceptively make ChatGPT feel like talking to a human.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
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Cannavaro is not the first global football star to infiltrate Uzbek football (Rivaldo played for Bunyodkor for three years towards the end of his career) but his appointment certainly got a football-mad nation talking.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie, who is involved in the operation, said workers were pumping water out of the cave.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
The team has been pumping water out of the cave to give the men an easier exit.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 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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With Arena Monterrey shaking, El Grande II hit a flying clothesline for a nearfall.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
YouTubers in their 20s are shaking things up in Hollywood.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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