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
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
Naturally, the months-old restaurant boasts the best wine list in town — yet another reason to zig (or zin?) where others zag.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 17 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
Michelle Baran, AFAR Media, 29 Sep. 2025
Naturally, the months-old restaurant boasts the best wine list in town — yet another reason to zig (or zin?) where others zag.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 17 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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Police vans behind a temporary metal fence secured the road to the athletes’ village, but the protesters veered away, continuing their apparent route toward the Santagiulia venue.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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She's especially drawn to cool gray tones at the moment, which can make for a nice compromise for anyone who's looking to veer away from white yet isn't quite sold on deep black.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And some companies zig as others zag.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 Jan. 2026
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There were lessons to be learned, and companies that were nimble had the ability to zig and zag as needed.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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An industrial landscape gives way to vast marshes spliced by curving waterways.—
Kara Newman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
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If an object passes by something with a lot of mass, such as a planet or a galaxy, that warping causes the object’s path to bend, to curve.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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More recently, the mayor spoke out against the county’s plan to cut $200 million in homeless services.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Local reports said Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zag. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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