as in flaps
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down
the dog gave its tail a single wag before it flopped back down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in comedians
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
some wag wrote a droll satire on the scandal for the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in waggles
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the cat's tail wagged back and forth in annoyance
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in gossips
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature
tongues will wag as soon as word of the house's selling price gets around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wags
Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
When Cody the golden retriever was introduced to his new sibling, his owner probably would have hoped for some happy tail wags and some curious sniffs to show his curiosity.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Less bending for pets + slower eating habits = better digestion and more tail wags.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
As Gino wags his finger at his estranged wife, Natalie begins to approach Jasmine.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Noun
That has, at least, spawned a rich stream of social media content, with wags across the world editing iconic cricket clips with the commentary coming before them.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
When Cody the golden retriever was introduced to his new sibling, his owner probably would have hoped for some happy tail wags and some curious sniffs to show his curiosity.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Less bending for pets + slower eating habits = better digestion and more tail wags.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
In a lot of ways, Phil is the tail that wags the dog.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
As Gino wags his finger at his estranged wife, Natalie begins to approach Jasmine.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wags
Verb
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Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
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The reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live.—
Kristen Martin,
The Atlantic,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the canonical metaphorical example, a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and the cascading sequence of atmospheric perturbations leads to a tornado in Texas.—
Dan Garisto,
Scientific American,
22 Oct. 2025
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That goes for Jimmy Kimmel and for anybody who flaps their gums for a living.—
Jesse Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And networks, whether leaders recognize them or not, shape who talks to whom, who shares information, and who gets left out.—
Kevin Kruse,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Ahead, Henson exclusively talks with Entertainment Weekly about competing on The Masked Singer.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Taylor attended the Schiaparelli spring 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Monday in towering platform pumps custom-made for her for the event.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
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Worcester pumps about $6 million a year into snow removal.—
Brandon Truitt,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Think Judd Apatow flicks with Steve Carell and Seth Rogen, or sitcoms starring Charlie Sheen.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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Like a true professional, the actor quickly flicks the photo and extinguishes the blaze without ever breaking character — despite internally freaking out — to nail the perfect shot.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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White Lotus fans are used to seeing Patrick Schwarzenegger reveling in a luxurious island vacation at Thailand’s Four Seasons Koh Samui, with protein shakes in hand, of course.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
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Nix shakes hands with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at the end of Saturday's game.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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The video suddenly jerks away as the vehicle starts to move and shots can be heard.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wags. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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