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
Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 30 June 2024
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
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
For many, this is the last image of that player with the waggling hips, at the top of the world, and unburdened by football’s brutality.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 30 June 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
Noun
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In 70 experiments conducted over a few days, Veronika applied the implement exclusively to hard-to-reach areas, like her rump, loin, thurl and navel flap.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Even in modern medicine, the practice isn’t obsolete; doctors sometimes apply live leeches after reconstructive surgery to keep blood from clotting in flaps of tissue.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Alijah Arenas switched between his forehand shot and backhand, flicking the plastic ball over the net to his opponent, former NBA star Brandon Jennings.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
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While the horses were flicking sand like fireworks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That has, at least, spawned a rich stream of social media content, with wags across the world editing iconic cricket clips with the commentary coming before them.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.—
Rena Goldman,
EverydayHealth.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The bonito’s body twitched until Yamasaki slid a thin metal wire down the column of its spinal cord, a second step called shinkei jime, which arrests its nervous system.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
One man asked for a switch of signs.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Nikolas Lanum , Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Ball quickly sprinted to the scorer’s table and checked in to applause from the crowd, likely unaware of the switch with the starting lineup.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Minnesota swung that deal for Dillingham as a creative way to get around the team-building restrictions of the aprons.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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How golfers rely on — and leverage — technology fascinates Skenes, from the numbers culled relative to swing speed and ball flight to how their bodies must be in sync to generate so much club speed.—
Tribune News Service,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Not with pole plants or hippie wiggle turns, but with what is truly the most important part of skiing.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
24 Dec. 2025
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Every small movement of the eyes or wiggle of the fingers provides hope for Rio Foster’s mother.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Fill a bowl or sink with water, add a drop of fabric softener, and swish it around.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
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My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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