as in flap
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
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as in comedian
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 to flap
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 to gossip
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
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Recent Examples of wag
Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.
—Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
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
The real dog sniffed Jennie and gave an approving tail wag.
—Rena Goldman, EverydayHealth.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Zendaya kicked off Paris Fashion Week by sending tongues wagging in bridal white chic.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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March 31 also happened to be an extremely glorious day in New York, the kind of weather that demands a margarita with which to gossip about Bravo drama on a rooftop.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
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Looking at the issue from the perspective of Christian ethics, theology scholar Matthew Lee Anderson argues that there’s a case to be made that, in certain narrow circumstances, Christians are not only allowed but obligated to gossip.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The airline placed everyone seeking information in a conference room that overlooked the Potomac River, where the wreckage of Flight 5342 bobbed in the water.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Rare was the creative artist, post-1970, who wasn’t churned up by bobbing in the Beatles’ wake.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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England needed a set piece to score when Cole Palmer’s corner was flicked on at the near post and White rolled the ball over the line.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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In overtime, Fillier received a centering pass from Maja Nylén Persson and flicked it over the glove of Maddie Rooney for her seventh goal in the last six games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The married father of two sons, who had been on the force for seven months, was making his regular rounds and stopped at Circle K, spotting Teresa talking with a 16-year-old boy outside the store, according to court records.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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And, even then, maybe don’t talk to me.—
Jesse Eisenberg,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When the clock finally ran out, Auriemma walked straight to the tunnel and didn’t shake hands.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The UConn players and assistant coaches shook hands with the South Carolina coaches and players after the game but Auriemma walked off the court after the game.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two days after that, the agency greenlit Kaskida, a new five-billion-dollar ultra-deep drilling project southwest of New Orleans, which could start pumping eighty thousand barrels of oil a day as early as 2029.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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