as in to flap
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the rabbit waggled its ears and hopped away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waggle
Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023
David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
And Adem Bona was a whirling dervish of a double-double, dropping in an and-one layup as the Trojans tried to chip away into a second-half lead, slapping his bicep and waggling his tongue and visibly sucking the life out of Galen.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for waggle 
Noun
One part of this process – the famous waggle dance – was discovered decades ago.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
The younger Yaz’s pre-swing bat waggle was the topic, hitting coach Justin Viele said.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023
Verb
This part of the design also imparts a nice waggling action via its thin paddle tail.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
And Adem Bona was a whirling dervish of a double-double, dropping in an and-one layup as the Trojans tried to chip away into a second-half lead, slapping his bicep and waggling his tongue and visibly sucking the life out of Galen.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
Noun
-
The Starship vehicle on Flight 7 also has smaller forward flaps that have been moved away from its heat shield to reduce exposure to excess heat during reentry, SpaceX wrote in a mission description.—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
10 Jan. 2025
-
The plane had descended without its wing flaps and landing gear activated and skidded down the runway at a faster-than-normal speed.—
River Akira Davis,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
As Wolves defender Matt Doherty looked to counterattack, Lewis-Skelly flicked out his foot and tripped his opponent near the edge of the Wolves penalty area, a type of challenge typically shown a yellow card.—
Matias Grez,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Late Friday afternoon, the lights suddenly flicked on, as power returned to a section of Altadena for the first time in 10 days.—
Jack Healy,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The instant Shorty stepped inside, there were nonstop tail wags.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
25 Nov. 2024
-
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
Verb
-
As the omen begins to descend onto Karen’s house, the hairs of the mermaids’ arms stand up; their scales twitch in fear.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2024
-
Not the American economy, which twitched from panic to triumph to panic and, in 1907, had to be bailed out with private funds from Morgan and his associates.—
Jackson Arn,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
In addition to prioritizing rail projects, the Port plans to ramp up the volume of zero-emissions electric trucks in service and invest $640 million in new zero-emissions cargo handling equipment and charging stations to support the switch.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Philadelphia started the season slow at 2-2 but flipped the switch, rattling off 10 straight wins and finishing the season 14-1 in their last 15 games.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
However, after reading the groom-to-be's explanation on Reddit, many users have swung behind him in support.—
Joel Thayer,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Both the Lakers and Warriors figure to continue pursuing upgrades between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline, although neither seems likely to swing a blockbuster trade for another star.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
For extra wiggles, there are multiple playgrounds nearby, and the Chicago Children’s Museum is just a short 20-minute stroll away.—
Esther Carlstone,
Parents,
18 Dec. 2024
-
They are designed for the ultimate workout experience and feature ultra compression to lock in muscles, stabilize joints and eliminate muscle wiggle.—
Nora Colomer,
Fox News,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The team did this by projecting images indicating forward movement when the animal swished its tail.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2025
-
The monitor called out the instructions, and the exam papers, swishing open at the same time, created a pulse of air.—
Daisy Hildyard,
The New Yorker,
15 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near waggle
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share