waggle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wagglenext
as in flap
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down a quick waggle of her head to indicate "no"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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waggle

2 of 2

verb

ˈwa-gəl How to pronounce waggle (audio)
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

Example 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
Noun
Researchers found that the receivers of the dance weren’t just following the direction and distance indicated by the waggle dance. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025 Already Guerrero seems to be able to convey of-the-moment phrasings and character directions with a few emphatic motions—a roller-coaster swoop here, a waggle of the fingers there—and get an immediate response from the choristers. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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 The crimson tips of giant tube worms waggled in the current, tangling around clusters of mussels. — Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
  1. flap
  2. flick
  3. wag
  4. twitch
  5. switch
  6. swing
  7. wiggle
  8. swish
Noun
  • This version has a removable belt for a customizable fit, a storm flap and back vent for breathability, and multiple pockets for keeping essentials close by.
    — Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The best testing locations include the underside of the base, the inside of a flap, the back of a strap, and a low section near a seam.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flap
Verb
  • Marcus Caldeira flicked a header from about 35 yards out to Pereyra, who chipped in a first-touch finish from a couple steps inside the penalty box.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Within a few minutes, Hutchinson has his mobile out, happily flicking through the screensavers.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of flick
Noun
  • Ever since the infamous finger-wag at LSU, Clark has dominated Angel Reese.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
  • Moreover, if Griffin stepped into public life now, the cynical wags in finance would declare the reason obvious—his hedge fund’s returns have been sagging.
    — Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of wag
Verb
  • The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of twitch
Noun
  • Those system switches in 2024-25 were made because key winger Ephron Mason-Clark picked up an injury.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Bacteria become switches The researchers used Pantoea agglomerans, a bacterium commonly found on plants and other surfaces.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of switch
Verb
  • But once every 12 years, during the Year of the Horse, the doors swing open.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The inning should have been over after Bo Bichette swung on a bouncing pitch that went back to the backstop, but Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz threw the ball past first base, and Bichette was safe.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of swing
Noun
  • During her visit to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Monday, Middleton wore the Suzannah London silk flippy wiggle shirtdress in white with black accents.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
  • Saints peppered Trick with punches in the corner, but Trick gave Ricky a little wiggle and answered with strikes of his own.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of wiggle
Verb
  • Squirt some disinfectant into the bowl and swish it around with the toilet brush, then flush.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Waiters swished past with little pots of lemon sorbet and glasses of Sprankel, a sparkling wine from Babylonstoren, Roos and Bekker’s farm and hotel in South Africa’s Franschhoek wine valley.
    — Mary Holland, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026
Definition of swish

Browse Nearby Words

waggishness
waggle
waggled
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Cite this Entry

“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of waggle for Spanish Speakers

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