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
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Recent Examples of waggling
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
Alina Hartounian, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggling
Verb
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While images of retinas bursting with color and a dove flapping its wings on an outstretched human hand looped behind them, the two allowed the crowd to grow denser while bobbing along to their rhythms.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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Gauzy curtains that have blown into a tree are flapping in the wind.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Older supporters will remember it well and, if anyone from the younger generation wants a glimpse into those times, perhaps a good place to start is by flicking through the pages of The Complete History Of Manchester City, written by football historian Gary James and published in 1997.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In an October 23 Instagram video posted by user @jenjinete, a tiny Shih Tzu puppy can be seen waddling onto the porch, tail wagging rapidly, as the mailman approaches to make the day's delivery.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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There wasn’t any tailgating at Gillette Stadium Sunday, but there were plenty of wagging tails.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His eye is twitching, just a little.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
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In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The faceless head of a man bobbing in the water recalls the countless Africans who perished during the perilous journey due to disease, malnourishment, and abuse, whose bodies were thrown overboard by unscrupulous ship captains and slavers to schools of sharks.—
James Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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The view inside the Phoenix Convention Center, seen from a mezzanine, was a sea of bobbing caps.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Last week, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was on stage in front of his supporters, waving his hands and dancing, seemingly oblivious to the danger that awaited him.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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Drone shows use hundreds of small drones hooked up with LED lights to fly into the night sky and display moving images, like a waving American flag.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2020, when Wembanyama was 16, a video of him swishing midrange jumpers against Rudy Gobert, a 7-foot-1 French compatriot and one of the NBA’s top defenders, went viral.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Dec. 2025
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The Rockets have already started releasing videos of Şengün running pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler and swishing 3-pointers during the first few days of training camp.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why many nail enthusiasts are switching to at-home mani-pedis — and turning it into a 2026 beauty trend.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Aztecs had been switching the point guard-center ball screens, which put guards on 6-9 bouncy Nevada forward Elijah Price under the basket.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggling. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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