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
Relevance
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
3
as in bobbing
to make short up-and-down movements
the bird's head wagged jerkily as it looked for worms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of wagging
There wasn’t any tailgating at Gillette Stadium Sunday, but there were plenty of wagging tails.
—
Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
The dog's tail began wagging rapidly.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
From metallic sparkle bandanas to adventure-ready harnesses and travel crates, this collection has everything your pet needs to keep their tails wagging and paws moving in style.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Swift and Styles set tongues wagging after they were spotted by paparazzi strolling together in November 2012, and things seemed even more heated after they were photographed sharing some New Year’s Eve smooches the following month.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Blackberry is always ready to greet you with a wagging tail and a big smile.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Of course, with all the tail- and tongue-wagging joy our little friends get from tagging along comes some risk.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Dogs often show their happiness by wagging their tails, but one owner has learned those joyful wags can get canines into a bit of a predicament.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
The dog's tail began wagging rapidly.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
From metallic sparkle bandanas to adventure-ready harnesses and travel crates, this collection has everything your pet needs to keep their tails wagging and paws moving in style.
—Jessica Moore, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Swift and Styles set tongues wagging after they were spotted by paparazzi strolling together in November 2012, and things seemed even more heated after they were photographed sharing some New Year’s Eve smooches the following month.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Blackberry is always ready to greet you with a wagging tail and a big smile.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Of course, with all the tail- and tongue-wagging joy our little friends get from tagging along comes some risk.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Dogs often show their happiness by wagging their tails, but one owner has learned those joyful wags can get canines into a bit of a predicament.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
Verb
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But its appeal can’t be divorced from the romance of its history, which properly began in the 19th century when English polo players began wearing oxford shirts as their preferred uniform, complete with collars that buttoned against the body to prevent their points from flapping in the wind.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
6 Oct. 2025
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Above it all, flapping in the wind, there’s the stars and stripes, that latecomer flag to native nations.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sophia keeps her Instagram private but started opening up more on TikTok in 2025, including sharing a fun video about gossiping with her mom.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Nancy and Minh are there too, but primarily to set up Peggy’s consternation that her neighbors, along with the rest of Rainey Street, have become a bunch of phone addicts hiding behind their Ring cams and gossiping on the Neighbors app instead of interacting face to face.—
Genevieve Koski,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That mute minute in an otherwise ever-bobbing, ever-shouting crowd (a portion of which camped outside the Spectrum Center) was a testament to Eilish’s ability to hold her own on a stage that — other than the occasional burst of fire and blitzing lights — had little frill.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
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The kitchen was empty, save for an enormous stockpot of broth, with chicken feet bobbing at the surface.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While a wagging dog’s tail might indicate excitement or friendliness, a flicking cat’s tail can signal irritation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Only the paintings bore witness to her intense, solitary writing sessions, conducted in the studio by night, Stein flicking the pages of her notebooks with hardly a pause, until dawn birdsong disturbed her concentration.—
Francesca Wade,
Air Mail,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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During those visits, Ray and Alex took an interest in dance — getting up onstage with the park’s performers and talking with them after the shows.—
Shannon Pettypiece,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Toddlers and babies especially might especially appreciate a break from their constricting seat, and a change in scenery, by talking a walk up and down the aisles with mom or dad.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Footage that has now gone viral shows Herrera happily pumping her fists in the air and walking to the front of the stage to join the finalists, while Deane suddenly paused between names.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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But perhaps more importantly, Cork Tree helped the band become the therapists pumping through the speakers of a whole generation of skinny jean-wearing teens, igniting the pop-punk and emo music scene into a blazing force for the masses.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
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Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Among seismic sports television changes during the past 50 years, the NBA’s new media rights deal, one that officially begins this week, isn’t quite as earth-shaking as CBS losing the NFL to Fox in 1994 or ABC losing Monday Night Football in 2005.—
Barry Jackson
Updated October 21,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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The post shows video footage of the dog barking and shaking as floodwaters reached the dog's chest.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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