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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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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The team also discovered that rays using undulatory, wave-like swimming had better ground clearance than those with purely oscillatory, flapping motions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Alijah Arenas switched between his forehand shot and backhand, flicking the plastic ball over the net to his opponent, former NBA star Brandon Jennings.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
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While the horses were flicking sand like fireworks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Start your new year with love, cuddles and wagging tails!—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
22 Dec. 2025
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Christmas cheer came early, with wagging tails and floppy ears.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
19 Dec. 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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Still, the infant’s head can be seen bobbing up and down.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
20 Jan. 2026
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SpaceX support crews stationed near the landing site quickly reached the gently bobbing spacecraft and hauled it aboard a company recovery ship where flight surgeons were standing by to carry out initial medical checks.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of Senegalese gathered for a public viewing in the area historically called Little Senegal in Harlem, then spilled into the streets waving flags, singing and dancing in an informal parade late into the night.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
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The float at the front of the line featured Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy with Mickey waving the flag, Goofy banging a drum, and Donald on flute, a giant eagle looming over them from behind.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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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
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 29 Jan. 2026.
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