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
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Recent Examples of wags
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
One hums with high-speed drills and anxiety; the other echoes with joyful barks and tail wags.
—Henry I. Miller, STAT, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Once returned to their moms, Lizzie and Bambie were all wags.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
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
Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
Many critics, political pundits, and wags asked, somewhat rhetorically, whether anyone in the administration recalls how handing the responsibility of nuclear weaponry over to machines turned out in the Terminator movies.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
One hums with high-speed drills and anxiety; the other echoes with joyful barks and tail wags.
—Henry I. Miller, STAT, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Once returned to their moms, Lizzie and Bambie were all wags.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
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
When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
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
-
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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To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
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New features like active aero (flaps that open on the front and rear wings) help forge a much closer relationship between the engine and the chassis around it.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Angelina is another person who talks a lot.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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In this episode, Mitzi talks to Bret Anthony Johnston about his new story collection, Encounters with Unexpected Animals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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Accessories, again, were pared back—silvery dotted Manolo Blahnik pumps (again sourced by Lili Aghaei of The Vintage Marché), and long drop diamond earrings by Chopard.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Brobbey flicks the ball into the path of Diarra, who carries it into the vacated space, before his shot deflects off Axel Tuanzebe and gives Sunderland the lead.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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As a director, his credits include A Family Man starring Gerard Butler, as well as the Liam Neeson flicks Honest Thief and Blacklight.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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All of the ice cream is made in-house, with rotating flavors alongside vanilla and chocolate, plus a long list of sundaes, malts and shakes.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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That does a remarkable job at shooting steady, stabilized video, even as the phone itself shakes or rotates dramatically.—
Dominic Preston,
The Verge,
4 Mar. 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
-
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 10 Mar. 2026.
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