as in to veer
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the crowd roared as the clown on the bicycle zagged while the other clowns, in hot pursuit, zigged
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Recent Examples of zag
The Broncos defender squared himself for the tackle, only for Washington to zag left at the last second.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
Better yet, airlines and hotels often offer deals to fill seats and rooms in places that aren’t oversubscribed, meaning your willingness to zig when others zag can pay off in both savings and a more relaxed trip.
—Michelle Baran, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
When everyone else zigs, you zag.
—Talbott Roche, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
During a bustling morning shift, Moua zags between tables as diners lean against bench pillows handstitched with fabric cut from traditional Hmong dresses.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zag
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
Better yet, airlines and hotels often offer deals to fill seats and rooms in places that aren’t oversubscribed, meaning your willingness to zig when others zag can pay off in both savings and a more relaxed trip.
—Michelle Baran, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
When everyone else zigs, you zag.
—Talbott Roche, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
During a bustling morning shift, Moua zags between tables as diners lean against bench pillows handstitched with fabric cut from traditional Hmong dresses.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zag
Verb
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Some residents made the most of it, veering off into unrelated topics and protesting when Power attempted to move the meeting along by giving the microphone to someone else.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
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The question is now whether Novo veers into other fields like rare diseases and heart conditions.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As much as the young offensive mind trend caught on post-2017, there appears to be a wave of teams trying to zig while others zag.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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And some companies zig as others zag.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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My biggest tip is to hold the barrel horizontally, with the airflow directed downward, so the ends curve under into that soft, bouncy finish.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2026
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The two-story apartment house, with pink stripes that race around the facade of pink keystone and white stucco, curves around an immaculate courtyard dominated by a date palm and strangler fig tree.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sam Bennett scored with 35 seconds left to cut the deficit back to one but Florida could get no closer.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
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That deal, which required Iran to limit its nuclear program by, among other things, cutting enrichment levels and reducing centrifuges, took effect in 2016 and was due to expire 10 years after it was adopted.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zag. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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