1
as in flapping
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
Relevance
2
as in gossiping
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
3
as in bobbing
to make short up-and-down movements
the bird's head wagged jerkily as it looked for worms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wagging
The dogs react excitedly, their noses pushed against the glass and their tails wagging furiously, as their owner can be heard giggling behind the camera.
—
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Of course, with all the tail- and tongue-wagging joy our little friends get from tagging along comes some risk.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
If it’s held naturally and gently wagging side to side, the dog is probably relaxed and happy.
—Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
That was until Mo Mahmoud sped past me in his Hellcat on I-94, wagging his tongue.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Dogs often show their happiness by wagging their tails, but one owner has learned those joyful wags can get canines into a bit of a predicament.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
These loyal companions love their humans unconditionally, greeting them at the door with a wagging tail or curling up at the foot of the bed, purring gently.
—Funnyfuzzy Contributor, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
From the title on, Babygirl feels designed to get tongues wagging rather than lolling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
Tails were wagging and paws were prancing at the Benton Franklin Humane Society as dogs experienced a special kind of Christmas magic - choosing their own favorite gifts!
—Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Of course, with all the tail- and tongue-wagging joy our little friends get from tagging along comes some risk.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
If it’s held naturally and gently wagging side to side, the dog is probably relaxed and happy.
—Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
That was until Mo Mahmoud sped past me in his Hellcat on I-94, wagging his tongue.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Dogs often show their happiness by wagging their tails, but one owner has learned those joyful wags can get canines into a bit of a predicament.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
These loyal companions love their humans unconditionally, greeting them at the door with a wagging tail or curling up at the foot of the bed, purring gently.
—Funnyfuzzy Contributor, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
From the title on, Babygirl feels designed to get tongues wagging rather than lolling.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
Tails were wagging and paws were prancing at the Benton Franklin Humane Society as dogs experienced a special kind of Christmas magic - choosing their own favorite gifts!
—Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wagging
Verb
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While Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir (6ft 6in) was left flapping at a Declan Rice corner as Riccardo Calafiori nodded home, Raya easily dealt with similar issues later in the game, catching one delivery and punching the other well away from danger.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
These behaviors included; lifting one leg, spinning around on a perch, and flapping their wings on command (Figure 1B).—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nancy and Minh are there too, but primarily to set up Peggy’s consternation that her neighbors, along with the rest of Rainey Street, have become a bunch of phone addicts hiding behind their Ring cams and gossiping on the Neighbors app instead of interacting face to face.—
Genevieve Koski,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a video Trump posted to a social media, a small boat can be seen bobbing the water before being struck, resulting in a cloud of black smoke.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Across the field, Granite Hills’ talented junior quarterback, Zac Benitez, chilled out, bobbing his head to tunes playing on his headphones.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Schweigert emphasized the importance of talking slowly, before sending participants back to the breakrooms to reintroduce themselves with a more deliberate pace.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
When Zuckerberg started talking, Boz's glasses began displaying subtitles.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As such, a study like this doesn’t change her recommendations about pumping and feeding schedules.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Several were pumping liquid concrete into gaps between the pre-cut stone panels.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In a new video with Insightec, the Oscar-winning screenwriter, 76, opened up about struggling for years with essential tremor, which left him unable to do simple tasks without shaking, such as holding a cup or writing by hand.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Steam the clams until the shells open, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the clams, shaking the pan once or twice.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wagging. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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