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

Relevance

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
  • Key Background Given its hot start, the newest Spider-Man movie could become one of the top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, a list that already features three Marvel flicks.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile the top movies at the box office were two low-budget indie horror flicks, Obsession and Backrooms.
    — Ronnen Harary, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of flicks
Verb
  • The robot flaps five to six times a second to maintain flight.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 9 July 2026
  • To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 6 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
  • Thus, if the balance of justice comes up even ― the parties' positions are exactly 50/50 in merit ― the courts will ever so slightly put their finger on the creditor's side so that the balance swings in the creditor's favor.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Whether the issue is autism, AI, or something else, MAHA swings at anything and everything.
    — Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026
Definition of swings
Verb
  • In most states, someone who switches and later wants to return to traditional Medicare may not be able to buy a Medigap supplemental policy at a standard rate.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The video switches over to drone footage just before Ship hits the water, capturing from above the dramatic splashdown — and Ship's survival, despite the outbreak of a sizeable fire around its nose.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

waggled
waggles
waggling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggles. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on waggles

Nglish: Translation of waggles for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All