Thesaurus results for WAGGLE

waggle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waggle

as in flap

a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down a quick waggle of her head to indicate "no"

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waggle

2 of 2

verb

ˈwa-gəl

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

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 waggle

Noun

Researchers found that the receivers of the dance weren’t just following the direction and distance indicated by the waggle dance. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025 Already Guerrero seems to be able to convey of-the-moment phrasings and character directions with a few emphatic motions—a roller-coaster swoop here, a waggle of the fingers there—and get an immediate response from the choristers. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025

Verb

When LaBeija, as Gus the Theatre Cat, finally strolled onstage to revisit his glory days, waggling his long, polished claws, a younger Gus (Jonathan Burke) appeared, like a mirror dancing toward him. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026 The crimson tips of giant tube worms waggled in the current, tangling around clusters of mussels. — Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for waggle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle

Noun

Small details in the jacket included a breast pocket and hip flap pockets, along with buttons on the cuffs.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
All windows, including those on the front and sides, can be covered with the roll-up window flaps, providing shade and privacy.

— Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of flap

Verb

Coming for a variety of longtime critics of the merger, opposition rose and suspicion about the settlement served to pour gasoline on an already flicking fire.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Paul Marie flicked a ball off the outside of his foot to Judd, who scored on a volley from the edge of the 6-yard box to give the Earthquakes a 3-0 lead in the 29th.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of flick

Verb

During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
When a sensor detected the left or right forelimb moving, the hub sent a limb-specific pulse through the body that reached an implant on the corresponding hind leg, which stimulated the sciatic nerve and made that leg twitch.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of twitch

Noun

That’s close to the firm’s 2023 forecast of 12 million career switches by 2030.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
Many more hurdles rained down in the three decades that followed — music industry changes, family demands, divorces, the pandemic, microphone mishaps, and recently, a management switch.

— Leena Tailor, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of switch

Verb

When the Spider swings past a silverish-gray newsstand filled with copies of the Daily Bugle, the frame becomes black-and-white, even in the color version.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
There was no notice to staff that swings in blood sugar levels can cause the kind of emotional distress and behavioral outbursts that got Christian in trouble.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of swing

Noun

Earlier this year, César Alvarez spent far too much of their play The Potluck having their onstage avatar wiggle around on the hook of writing The Potluck.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Gemini models are going to be deeply integrated with the software, ready to work on your screen context with a cursor wiggle.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of wiggle

Verb

Some deer wag more than others, and whitetails will swish more at different times of year—for example, in summer and into early bow season, when pesky bugs hover.

— Tom Carpenter, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
Alternatively, slice them crosswise and swish well in a bowl of cold water, then lift them out, leaving the dirt behind in the bowl.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of swish

Browse Nearby Words

waggishness

waggle

waggled

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Style

“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of waggle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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