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
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
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
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
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
-
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
-
On Friday night, the United Talent Agency, along with Vulture, held their yearly elegant soiree, bringing in people from across the scene, with actors, producers, and agents gabbing and gossiping about the past year in Broadway and beyond.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
-
The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 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
-
Sehic said there were many people at the restaurant at the time, and said Campbell was talking to someone else at the bar when he was approached by Harakh.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
But the Heat and the Bucks have been talking for months and not agreed to a deal because the Bucks don’t love the Heat’s offer.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The impacts of pumping take years, maybe decades to be fully manifested.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
-
Fans decked out in Knicks merchandise filled the streets, subways and office towers with a sea of blue and orange, often fist-pumping strangers with all feeling buoyed by the Knicks pinch-me moments on the march to the championship prize.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Add 2 ounces of water to compensate for shaking.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
In a major rupture, strong shaking could last tens of seconds to more than a minute.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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