Thesaurus results for WAGGLING

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

Verb

Maybe the manager didn’t feel like flapping their arms to dry them, seeing as how the cookline handwash sink didn’t have paper towels or a blower.

— David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Generally, to be considered autistic, a person must have exhibited social difficulties and repetitive behaviors—such as hand-flapping and spinning—from before the age of 5.

— Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of flapping

Verb

His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
France trailed 4-0 before Mbappé sparked a comeback attempt, flicking the ball past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute before adding a second with a left-footed finish from about 14 yards in the 66th.

— Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026

Definition of flicking

Verb

Though the Colonel had many enemies, the violence of his death shocks the sleepy village and starts the tongues of the local gossips wagging.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026
Today, these dotted dogs are living symbols of courage, companionship and tail-wagging tradition that’s an iconic part of American history.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 15 July 2026

Definition of wagging

Verb

There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.

— Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026

Definition of twitching

Verb

Emirates is rolling out a new type of headrest that will keep passengers from bobbing side to side in Economy Class seats.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Guidry, at the prow, raised the lantern, revealed in the circle oflight a bobbing tangle of sargassum weed, a swimming snake, a child’s cloth doll.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

Definition of bobbing

Verb

Sometimes therapists and family members join the party, and Kaye leads the festivities, waving a diploma up on the bench.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
The sight of the American president descending the long stairs from Air Force One, smiling and waving along the way, became a symbol of American diplomacy.

— Peter Kastor, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of waving

Verb

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
The Western Ghats mountains tumble down the west coast of India like a breaking wave, swishing through six states and across nearly 1,000 miles.

— Susan D'Arcy, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026

Definition of swishing

Browse Nearby Words

waggles

waggling

wagon

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“Waggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggling. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of waggling

verb

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