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
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Recent Examples of wagging
The dogs react excitedly, their noses pushed against the glass and their tails wagging furiously, as their owner can be heard giggling behind the camera.
—
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 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
If it’s held naturally and gently wagging side to side, the dog is probably relaxed and happy.
—Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
That was until Mo Mahmoud sped past me in his Hellcat on I-94, wagging his tongue.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 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
These loyal companions love their humans unconditionally, greeting them at the door with a wagging tail or curling up at the foot of the bed, purring gently.
—Funnyfuzzy Contributor, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
From the title on, Babygirl feels designed to get tongues wagging rather than lolling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
Tails were wagging and paws were prancing at the Benton Franklin Humane Society as dogs experienced a special kind of Christmas magic - choosing their own favorite gifts!
—Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 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
If it’s held naturally and gently wagging side to side, the dog is probably relaxed and happy.
—Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
That was until Mo Mahmoud sped past me in his Hellcat on I-94, wagging his tongue.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 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
These loyal companions love their humans unconditionally, greeting them at the door with a wagging tail or curling up at the foot of the bed, purring gently.
—Funnyfuzzy Contributor, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
From the title on, Babygirl feels designed to get tongues wagging rather than lolling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
Tails were wagging and paws were prancing at the Benton Franklin Humane Society as dogs experienced a special kind of Christmas magic - choosing their own favorite gifts!
—Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
Verb
-
Birds can soar through the sky for long periods without flapping their wings.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Well, the 23-year-old Belgian was among Europe’s best shot-stopping goalkeepers last season, is quick off his line and appears to be pretty composed, which would be ideal around his two flapping new goalkeeper team mates.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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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Dramatic video shows the moment nearly 70 shipping containers fell off a cargo ship Tuesday and were left bobbing in the ocean at the Port of Long Beach in California.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The concert film captures Mitski alongside a seven-piece band, bobbing in and out of a beaming spotlight and dark shadows.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The next battleground is the execution layer, where the question becomes not just who builds the models, but who profits when AI stops talking and starts acting for users.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Kelly began the livestream upon the news of Kirk's shooting in Utah and learned of his death while talking with Glenn Beck.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Travelers can expect to sail past incredible vistas of fjords and towering glaciers, or get their hearts pumping with a requisite polar plunge, diving into the icy waters for the ultimate rush.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
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In one of the images, Culpo appeared to be pumping milk while getting her hair done.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Prater, who was expecting gory details, is a little harder to read, though his face twitching doesn’t seem like a great sign.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In a new video with Insightec, the Oscar-winning screenwriter, 76, opened up about struggling for years with essential tremor, which left him unable to do simple tasks without shaking, such as holding a cup or writing by hand.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Steam the clams until the shells open, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the clams, shaking the pan once or twice.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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