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
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 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
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
Pointing at his own eyes, pointing at someone else’s eyes, whipping it left, whipping it right, waggling it to his lips.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 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
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The flap has also brought harsh criticism from prominent people in Miami, including former Democratic congressman Joe Garcia.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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These flaps suggest Praearcturus may have been capable of moving between water and land.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Verb
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And then, as if a switch had been flicked, Alamo’s tone changed again.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Hull went closest on the stroke of halftime when McBurnie’s header flicked off a Middlesbrough defender and clipped the top of the crossbar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Messi seemed to scold La Familia at one point with a finger wag aimed in their direction, showing his displeasure with their protest.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
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These special issues now have shifted from doing an occasional kind of interesting little tail wag for readers based on what a luminary in the field thought might be kind of neat.—
Anil Oza,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many a club’s board would have twitched in the face of the bare data, but the chain of command above Arteta stayed the course, and the FOMO is so high that tickets for Palace away this weekend are going for £45,000 ($60,000) on resale sites.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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It’s not made explicitly clear if these seemingly sympathetic kids are actually his worst bullies, but Machado-Graner’s eyes, lip twitch, and throat gulp in this short sequence tell a whole story in themselves.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Marte is also a switch hitter and would immediately become Boston’s biggest power threat.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Daraxonrasib targets a mutation in a gene called KRAS, which works like an on/off switch controlling how cells grow in the body.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Arraez was then picked off and the inning was over without Schmitt getting a chance to swing the bat.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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Given Waters’ stature as a congressional representative for 35 years, Ali said, her slate mailers can swing outcomes.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Give it a wiggle and the rhinestones obligingly flip right-side up, ready to be picked up.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
19 May 2026
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The bolt that holds the rack to the trailer hitch receiver gets nice and tight, eliminating the wiggle and clang-and-bang that an old hand-me-down rack tends to have.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In other words, avoid swishing seltzers in your mouth, drinking a lot of them or even sipping one throughout the day.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
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When the video screen showed Caruso, the rabid Thunder fans doubled their volume, as if a game-winning buzzer-beater had just swished.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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