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
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Recent Examples of wagged
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
In response, Estabrook wagged his finger toward the Bombers’ bench in the fourth inning.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Andy hopped onto a nearby settee and wagged his tail.
—Margaret Moorman, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 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
His dog, Bull, wagged his tail and sniffed at the patch of browning grass under his paws.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 11 May 2026
In response, Estabrook wagged his finger toward the Bombers’ bench in the fourth inning.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Kadri looked up, briefly, then wagged a gloved finger in appreciation.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Andy hopped onto a nearby settee and wagged his tail.
—Margaret Moorman, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 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
His dog, Bull, wagged his tail and sniffed at the patch of browning grass under his paws.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagged
Verb
-
Kerolin’s head was down and eventually so was Shaw’s, her run stopped, arms flapped against her side.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maisey, played by the phenomenal Lark White, is Black, and her shy adoptive father, Wayne (Ben Beckley), has never talked to her about her birth parents or even about race.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
-
At many such events in the past, people seated near me have talked throughout the concert.—
Maggie Penman,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Jordan—who seemed more fish than girl, her bobbed blonde hair tinted green as old pennies—walked with a confidence that Ana wished for her own daughter.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
Dead fish bobbed on the river’s surface as wastewater ran off directly into the Conasauga.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
On the rush, Keller controlled the loose puck just inside the left circle and flicked a shot off the back post into the net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
-
Havertz turned and flicked it to Eze at the edge of the area, who curled home a spectacular finish.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The column gossiped about which journalists and pundits did not pass the new purity test.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
One student was determined to get high-fives from a reporter, and students gossiped about gaining fame in the local paper.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her plea will spare a lengthy discovery period and likely mark the legal denouement of a federal probe that shook Sacramento after the FBI recorded dozens of lobbyists in the summer of 2024 as part of the investigation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
-
The writer-director sets her sophomore feature barely two years after the country shook off the despot’s iron grip.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
My empty paper bowl jerked along the belt, stopping under each funnel.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wagged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagged. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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