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
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
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
DÃaz 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
DÃaz 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
-
In the video, backed by champagne synths and hopscotching snares, a tuxedoed Jaeychino strolls the beach in Margiela sneakers, his jacket flapping in the wind as seafoam washes ashore.
-
Soaring birds fly without flapping wings, using rising air currents to uplift them.
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
-
Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
Verb
-
The soon-to-be 26-year-old left winger scored at the end of the first half on a breakaway, casually flicking the ball past Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide.
-
The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.
Verb
-
Seconds later, Hines-Allen decided she was done talking and shoved Bonner.
-
If your medication is affected, consider talking to your doctor or pharmacist to determine the best course of action.
Verb
-
If successful, QuantumCT would be eligible to receive roughly $160 million over a decade, pumping considerable federal cash into the state’s effort to build out its quantum economy.
-
MartÃn Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.
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.
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
Verb
-
Right now, that faith is shaking as a wave of cruelty sweeps through our communities.
-
With more shaking or churning, these grains grow and separate from the watery, naturally low-fat buttermilk.
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
