as in to flap
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the rabbit waggled its ears and hopped away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waggle
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2023
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The observations revealed that elephants greeted one another with specific combinations of vocalizations and gestures, such as rumbles with ear-flapping or ear-spreading, as well as other seemingly less deliberate physical movements, such as tail-raising and waggling, according to the study.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Noun
The silence of the forest might be interrupted with a siren salute from a passing law enforcement helicopter, or a wing waggle from firefighting aircraft passing en route to a fire.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2023
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023
Verb
These massive mammals greet each other with a mix of gestures and sounds—by flapping their ears, making rumbling noises, waggling their tails and reaching out their trunks, scientists reported last week in the journal Communications Biology.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The observations revealed that elephants greeted one another with specific combinations of vocalizations and gestures, such as rumbles with ear-flapping or ear-spreading, as well as other seemingly less deliberate physical movements, such as tail-raising and waggling, according to the study.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
Noun
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Beef bottom sirloin flap meat, imported.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Some looked toward the flap of the tent, ready to bolt.—
Ghada Abdulfattah,
The Atlantic,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The old reservoir flicked at the edge of my consciousness—like hearing your parents fighting but not grasping the stakes.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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Chris Durkin played a long arcing ball-in from well outside the area to the back post and João Klauss flicked a header to McSorley for the finish.—
Mercury News staff,
Mercury News,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This is not about taking the wag out of the puppy’s tail.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 Sep. 2025
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In a video on TikTok, Erin shared when the two dogs were reunited in a moment filled with excited tail wags.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 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
Noun
-
The interior only reinforces that theme, with large buttons and switches that stay easy to operate while a driver wears gloves or is trundling over bumpy trails.—
Michael Van Runkle,
Robb Report,
24 Sep. 2025
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The Aces won the battle of the paint 44-32, a 24-point switch from the opener.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, lift your chest and push your hips forward to swing the kettlebell up in front of the body.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
22 Sep. 2025
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Indeed, the designs swing between minimalist and maximalist.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, the full-body wiggle could help shake out the tension in your back, get your blood flowing, and decompress things a bit.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
12 Sep. 2025
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Spill out of the Louvre into the 69-acre Tuileries Garden to work out some post-museum wiggles.—
Elissa Garay,
AFAR Media,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Submerge the spinach and gently swish it around to loosen dirt and debris.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
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The video of serene waves that swished behind the curved stage at the start of Dua Lipa’s concert slowly intensified until the tide became a surge, an appropriate analogy for the pop superstar’s arrival in the US for the first time in more than three years.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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