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
One part of this process – the famous waggle dance – was discovered decades ago.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
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
One part of this process – the famous waggle dance – was discovered decades ago.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
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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Underneath the slab of ribs is a flap of meat called the skirt, which is also trimmed off.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 July 2025
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The soft style — shaped as a croissant with a rounded handle and signature secret pockets under the flap to hold essentials, such as lipstick, sunglasses, cash and a smartphone — made a return for fall 2025 as part of the collection that marked the Roman fashion house’s centennial this year.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Your words were steady, steeped in the old stories, but my eyes flicked to the window, unafraid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
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Superman is more conventional than Gunn’s Guardians flicks, or even his DC outings The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, yet he’s carried over the unhinged, off-kilter fun of those films.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 July 2025
Noun
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In the TikTok video Tiffany shared, the moment the two dogs met again involved some sniffs, playful roughhousing and plenty of tail wags.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
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Our portion of the state was so ignored that some of the local wags were calling for a new state called Forgottonia.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The fearful pup stepped out to greet her, his tail twitching—his first show of trust in a long time.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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So instead, designers tweaked certain details, like twitching nerves under his skin and the iridescence in his scales.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Noun
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Both fuel switches were found in the run position with indications that both engines were attempting to relight before the crash.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
-
Jeong went from forward to wingback and back to his preferred position of forward in his last two years in Minnesota; that switch factored into his inconsistency.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
13 July 2025
Verb
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When Bacho moves in to make a move, Sakamoto swings a stock pot at Bacho's head, rendering him unconscious.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
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But when the opportunity presented itself to purchase the building block, Batchelor swung at the chance.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Noun
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He’s got some wiggle and short-area quickness in his game, but his physicality also shows.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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On stage, the cues may be as simple as a hand gesture, or a wiggle of the hips.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Reps for Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry are hoping to swish, swish speculation about the nature of their relationship away.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Over at Isabel Marant, Glastonbury-ready fringe dresses, tops, and mini skirts effortlessly swished back and forth down the catwalk.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Refinery29,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
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