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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So we’ve been stunned to see the flap these last few days between McDonald’s and its franchisees over the need to actually offer customers extra value (aka a bundling deal) from those combo meals.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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There's a simple digital gauge cluster for the driver, framed on either side by what the brand's calling Quattro flaps.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Osaka said her fighting victory over Liudmila Samsonova in Montreal flicked a switch that lit the spark.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Excited body language, like full-body wiggles and big tail wags, is another strong indicator of affection.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
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Our study found that among people who defecated while on a hike to the summit of Mount Elbert, 30% used a wag bag to carry their waste off the mountain, and 87% expressed willingness to use one on future trips.—
B. Derrick Taff,
The Conversation,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Jones’ raw traits have always been jaw-dropping — a 6-foot-6 defensive end who can combine an edge rusher’s twitch with an interior lineman’s power.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
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Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The digital world operates through bits, which function as basic switches that maintain either a 0 or a 1 value.—
Sadhasivam Mohanadas,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Google is continuing to tease its switch from Assistant to Gemini across its smart home gadgets.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Longtime guitarist Dougie Needles swung his axe over his left shoulder, holding it aloft for a late solo during the closing number.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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Not shown is non-GAAP earnings that swung into profitability in 2024 with 28 cents per share earned compared to 10 cents per share lost in 2023 and a loss of 41 cents per share in 2022.—
Todd Gordon,
CNBC,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And academics close to the Kremlin have suggested there may be some wiggle-room to the Kremlin’s demands.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
25 Aug. 2025
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And in Bergen — a seventh-round flyer for new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer — the Niners are yet to see anything but perhaps a little wiggle as a punt returner.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But just as Indiana was on the verge of cutting the lead to a single possession, Powers fouled Clark’s former Iowa teammate Kate Martin on a 3-pointer right in front of Indiana’s bench and the second-year guard swished the shot to erupt the Chase Center crowd.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
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Chalmers swished the wide-open corner 3, giving Miami the target score of 50 and causing a wild celebration in which his teammates mobbed him on the court.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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