as in flapping
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waggling
When LaBeija, as Gus the Theatre Cat, finally strolled onstage to revisit his glory days, waggling his long, polished claws, a younger Gus (Jonathan Burke) appeared, like a mirror dancing toward him.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
And thanks to social media videos of their head-tilting, leg waggling antics, these web-slingers are in high demand.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
And thanks to social media videos of their head-tilting, leg waggling antics, these web-slingers are in high demand.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggling
Verb
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And that jockey was flapping and flapping about the top of his horse, lookin’ like a chicken—elbows jumping this way an’ that, but the horse was spent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
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Smaller birds darted around, their small wings flapping rapidly.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This could be the bookworm equivalent of jet setting, perhaps—seeking out the places we’re taken to while flicking the pages.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
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Edmundson, who’d lost MacKinnon on his first goal, atoned by receiving Kempe’s pass in the high slot and flicking a shot that clipped Wedgewood on its way into the net.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tongues set to wagging about whether the iconic bad boss at its center was really based on legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour — in some circles, anyway.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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Díaz disagreed, wagging his figure at the flag-bearer, and a VAR check confirmed Bayern could begin the celebrations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Naval mines bobbing in the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening oil tankers.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Here on the shore, overlooking the lighthouse and the harbor’s bobbing boats, partners Claire Hanrahan and Andrew Ainslie’s restaurant is the epitome of laidback chic with its country-kitchen interiors and butter yellow frontage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An official with knowledge of the situation told Northern News Now that an officer responded to reports of a man walking on a sidewalk and waving a gun.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Kevin Durant waving bye to Deandre Ayton after he was ejected from the game.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Oregon Zoo’s official TikTok account posted footage of a bear swishing around in a tub filled with ice and water, rolling on his back and kicking his feet before shaking water off.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Illinois freshman then spun to his left and hopped back behind the 3-point line, swishing his second 3-pointer of the night.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That defect involves payments that were not properly factored into final calculations during a system blackout that occurred while switching to the new Tyler platform, officials said.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Some devices can be reset by replacing fuses or switching internal breakers, but more advanced electronics like computers and gaming consoles probably need an expert evaluation.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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