1
as in flapped
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
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2
as in talked
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 wagged
Vlašić wagged his tongue and ran toward his teammates with outstretched arms in celebration.
—
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Or, remember when Republicans wagged their fingers at former President Barack Obama’s golf outings?
—
S.e. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
The dog of outdoor adventures for seriously ill children was not, in other words, being wagged by the tail of the popular salad-dressing company.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
In the immediate aftermath of West Ham United’s controversial loss to Arsenal, captain Jarrod Bowen launched the protests at the officials, Tomas Soucek and Callum Wilson pleaded for answers, while an incandescent Mads Hermansen repeatedly wagged his finger and had to be ushered away.
—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
After his score was announced Tuesday, Malinin’s coach, Rafael Arutyunyan, confidently wagged a single finger in the air.
—
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Major League Baseball wagged a finger with one hand and palmed gate receipts and a new TV deal in the other.
—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
The once-weak puppy woke up with new energy—and even wagged her tail for the first time.
—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Nov. 2025
CBS News,
27 June 2026
Or, remember when Republicans wagged their fingers at former President Barack Obama’s golf outings?
—
S.e. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
The dog of outdoor adventures for seriously ill children was not, in other words, being wagged by the tail of the popular salad-dressing company.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
In the immediate aftermath of West Ham United’s controversial loss to Arsenal, captain Jarrod Bowen launched the protests at the officials, Tomas Soucek and Callum Wilson pleaded for answers, while an incandescent Mads Hermansen repeatedly wagged his finger and had to be ushered away.
—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
After his score was announced Tuesday, Malinin’s coach, Rafael Arutyunyan, confidently wagged a single finger in the air.
—
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Major League Baseball wagged a finger with one hand and palmed gate receipts and a new TV deal in the other.
—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
The once-weak puppy woke up with new energy—and even wagged her tail for the first time.
—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagged
Verb
-
On the touchline, MacPhee flapped his arms in frustration.
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.
Verb
-
Both of the soon-to-be newlyweds have talked openly about wanting to have kids.
-
Gyllenhaal received the President’s Award on Friday at the festival’s opening night ceremony, and talked to the international press on Saturday in a suite at the neo-baroque Grand Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary.
Verb
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Wooden boats bobbed in long rows, their names and registration numbers hand-painted on the hulls, as men in neon vests unloaded catch and frigate birds swooped down to pick at the scraps.
-
The enthusiasm was apparent as the catamaran bobbed around the future site of Pier Wind, which recently received a $20-million grant from the California Energy Commission.
Verb
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After a corner kick and a nice cross, Sanchez flicked the ball in with his head as Colombian fans erupted.
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Boxed into the corner by two Americans, Güler flicked the ball perfectly between Pulisic's legs and ran around him, creating the space necessary to start the final sequence.
Verb
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If her fellow cast members were debriefed about her dismissal or gossiped amongst themselves, it was not shown onscreen.
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This is often easier said than done – no one wants to be gossiped about.
Verb
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Thousands of fans in Mexico lost their minds and shook the earth.
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Multiple explosions shook central Kyiv and reverberated across the capital throughout the night as thousands of residents rushed to bomb shelters and underground metro stations.
Verb
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.
Verb
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Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.
-
Suddenly, the tent jerked and wobbled.
Cite this Entry
“Wagged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagged. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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