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waggling

verb

present participle of waggle
as in flapping
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

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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 waggling When LaBeija, as Gus the Theatre Cat, finally strolled onstage to revisit his glory days, waggling his long, polished claws, a younger Gus (Jonathan Burke) appeared, like a mirror dancing toward him. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026 And thanks to social media videos of their head-tilting, leg waggling antics, these web-slingers are in high demand. — Alina Hartounian, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggling
  1. flapping
  2. flicking
  3. wagging
  4. twitching
  5. bobbing
  6. waving
  7. swishing
  8. switching
Verb
  • Real manta rays propel themselves by rhythmically flapping and undulating their enormous pectoral fins.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When the chute opened, Paper Cut thrashed across the arena until, at the sound of the buzzer, Jacobson launched himself off the animal and staggered away, his chaps flapping.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flapping
Verb
  • The fire had engulfed the garage roof, with flames flicking nearby trees and threatening to spread beyond the garage.
    — Rob Moore, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Playing with the Chromatic is as simple as inserting a cartridge and flicking the power switch.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of flicking
Verb
  • In the opening scene, an old and bearded monarch sits wagging a huge finger at a young man.
    — John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The result is food that supports your dog's nutritional needs and is delicious enough to keep tails wagging at mealtime.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of wagging
Verb
  • Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Somewhere, John Tortorella's eye is twitching with rage after that.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of twitching
Verb
  • There's currently no 100-MW Kraaken bobbing offshore, powering 32,000 homes, at least for now.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But the calm day gave way to terror when her uncle again looked out into the ocean and saw Summer’s head bobbing in and out of the water.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of bobbing
Verb
  • After the first quarter everyone is waving to the Children’s Hospital that’s next to the stadium and the kids watching the game from their windows are waving back.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The garrison’s enormous flag was waving on its flagpole, some 90 feet high—a clear signal that the American fort had survived the Battle of Baltimore.
    — Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 11, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of waving
Verb
  • One displays images of water swishing around the screen’s golden frame.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Rinse the blueberries under cold running water, gently swishing them around with your hands to ensure all the berries are exposed to water.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026
Definition of swishing
Verb
  • While many employers look down on this sort of professional promiscuity, new research suggests there are benefits to switching jobs frequently.
    — Adrian Ma, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Different providers and models may make sense for different workloads, so sourcing decisions need to account for performance, cost, security, compliance, switching flexibility and concentration risk over time.
    — Prajkta Waditwar, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of switching

Browse Nearby Words

waggles
waggling
wagon
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Cite this Entry

“Waggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggling. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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