waggles 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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waggles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of waggle
as in flicks
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 waggles
Noun
Pre-shot routines such as Patrick Cantlay’s foot-shuffling and Brian Harman’s waggles have driven golf fans up a wall. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggles
  1. flicks
  2. flaps
  3. wags
  4. twitches
  5. swings
  6. switches
  7. bobs
Noun
  • Such is the legacy of John Carpenter, the patron saint of slasher flicks, who has embraced the title of horror master in recent years.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Increasingly, electricity flicks on when Rodríguez and her 41-year-old daughter, Yaimara Matos, would normally be asleep.
    — Andrea Rodriguez, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of flicks
Verb
  • If your dispenser has a latch that flaps open, make sure there is nothing blocking the flap to keep the pod from releasing and dissolving.
    — Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of flaps
Noun
  • Moreover, if Griffin stepped into public life now, the cynical wags in finance would declare the reason obvious—his hedge fund’s returns have been sagging.
    — Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • Many critics, political pundits, and wags asked, somewhat rhetorically, whether anyone in the administration recalls how handing the responsibility of nuclear weaponry over to machines turned out in the Terminator movies.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of wags
Verb
  • Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.
    — Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of twitches
Verb
  • The Connecticut rapper’s debut swings from tongue-in-cheek provocations to slam-poetry clunkers, landing a few solid punchlines and pop hooks along the way.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If the answer swings on how the question was phrased, the model is not measuring anything about the match.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of swings
Verb
  • Her eyes flash a menacing blue as the scene switches to a film-noir black-and-white.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • If Ferran switches allegiances, the Blaugrana might have to rely on Lamine Yamal or Dani Olmo as a false 9.
    — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of switches
Verb
  • Multiple saunas and cold plunge pools sit alongside hot pools right on deck, and the whole thing bobs gently while the harbor traffic goes by, which somehow makes the ritual feel more honest than any five-star spa could.
    — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • From a fringed mullet, to a blonde buzz cut, bobs in various lengths, micro bangs, and even a shade of citrus—Kristen Stewart’s looks are always executed with an edge.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 July 2026
Definition of bobs

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Cite this Entry

“Waggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggles. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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