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
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Example Sentences
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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
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
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The slot formerly occupied by a performance from the Commodores will now be filled with the sound of a lone Gadsden flag flapping on its pole.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
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The fathers, faces ruddy, prayed in Latin for her soul, black robes flapping in the wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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Starting in place of Edin Dzeko (shoulder) and Haris Tabakovic (undisclosed), Lukic was in a ideal position to cap a set piece with captain Sead Kolasinac flicking along a header off Ivan Basic’s corner kick.—
John Wawrow,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Bruce was next seen wrapped in towels on the boat, wagging his tail happily after being rescued.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
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Carousel of Progress’ animatronic family — headed by John and Sarah — will remain, including Uncle Orville and Rover, the dog with the ever-wagging tail.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Verb
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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
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Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
10 June 2026
Verb
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In both cases, Spanish military aircraft provided an airborne escort, a sign of respect for visiting dignitaries, and in one clip of the video Leo is seen waving to the escorting pilot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
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He can be seen throwing his helmet off and waving his arms after Lugo went down.—
Zach Dean,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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In other words, avoid swishing seltzers in your mouth, drinking a lot of them or even sipping one throughout the day.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
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The Oregon Zoo’s official TikTok account posted footage of a bear swishing around in a tub filled with ice and water, rolling on his back and kicking his feet before shaking water off.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carolina also surrendered a high number of goals before switching from Frederik Andersen to Brandon Bussi, who allowed three goals in Game 4 and two more in Game 5.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Peacock is also switching tactics from past channels’ campaigns for espionage series.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggling. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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