wagging

verb

present participle of wag
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
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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wagging Though his tail was wagging, the dog immediately bounded down the hallway toward an officer, who fired his service pistol four times, killing the dog. — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 Dogs of all shapes and sizes entered the gates of Citi Field Thursday night with wagging tails, floppy ears and plenty of Mets gear. — Christina Cardona, USA Today, 26 June 2026 Bruce was next seen wrapped in towels on the boat, wagging his tail happily after being rescued. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 9 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
  1. flapping
  2. gossiping
  3. bobbing
  4. flicking
  5. talking
  6. pumping
  7. twitching
  8. shaking
Verb
  • In field tests across Lake Geneva, the machine swam through the lake before flapping its wings, breaking the water’s surface, and taking flight into the open air.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • Video from the group's livestream showed Luna flapping his wings on a branch before taking off.
    — Austin Turner, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of flapping
Verb
  • GiGi had been on the phone for the past hour, the receiver tucked between her head and her left shoulder, a Prince album playing loudly so Syl couldn’t hear her gossiping.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
  • Others reported witnessing judgmental comments, gossiping, staff intentionally violating patient privacy, staff wanting to punish the patients for their actions and denial of pain management during labor.
    — Karli Swenson, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
Definition of gossiping
Verb
  • Countless trees were felled and taken to Eugene for processing in mills or floated up the Willamette to Portland, the sawn trunks chained together in massive, bobbing rafts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • While the lights themselves aren’t drawing in spiders, the moths, gnats, mosquitoes, and mayflies bobbing around the lights do.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of bobbing
Verb
  • The action of continuously flicking a typical mouse wheel up and down can be slow and tedious as well difficult to control, even with infinite scroll wheels.
    — Shirl Leigh July 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026
  • By flicking their tongues, snakes can detect the scent trails left by potential prey, such as rodents or birds, and accurately track and capture them even in the dark or in complex environments.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • Spend time talking to the K18 co-founder and CEO and one thing becomes immediately obvious.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • What was your fatal flaw in the game that led to you talking to me right now?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
Definition of talking
Verb
  • Iran struck a pumping station on Saudi’s pipeline to the Red Sea in April, which slashed throughput by 700,000 bpd.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Doctors soon discovered a dangerous buildup of fluid surrounding Indiana's heart that was preventing it from pumping properly, requiring emergency surgery.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of pumping
Verb
  • There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
    — Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Definition of twitching
Verb
  • He is later seen greeting incarcerated men in the prison canteen, shaking hands and performing with several inmates serving as his backing band.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Jelly then enters the prison canteen, greeting hundreds of other inmates and shaking their hands.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of shaking

Browse Nearby Words

waggery
wagging
waggish
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Cite this Entry

“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wagging

Nglish: Translation of wagging for Spanish Speakers

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