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
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Recent Examples of waggle
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2023
One part of this process – the famous waggle dance – was discovered decades ago.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
This part of the design also imparts a nice waggling action via its thin paddle tail.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Noun
The silence of the forest might be interrupted with a siren salute from a passing law enforcement helicopter, or a wing waggle from firefighting aircraft passing en route to a fire.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2023
One part of this process – the famous waggle dance – was discovered decades ago.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2011
Verb
The observations revealed that elephants greeted one another with specific combinations of vocalizations and gestures, such as rumbles with ear-flapping or ear-spreading, as well as other seemingly less deliberate physical movements, such as tail-raising and waggling, according to the study.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 May 2024
This part of the design also imparts a nice waggling action via its thin paddle tail.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for waggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggle
Noun
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There is a test laboratory where samples of materials and finished bags are put through their paces, and a repair workshop where a weathered brown bag awaited rescue, its flap chewed by a dog.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2025
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The wasps’ strange abdomens each had three flaps with small spikes and trigger hairs, similar to the motion-detecting hairs on a Venus flytrap.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Chelsea captain picked out Mac Allister’s darting run, and the Liverpool midfielder flicked the ball cleverly over a desperate Bento.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Masterminded by hairstylist Peter Burkill, a fair few inches have been eliminated from Brown’s mane, leaving her with a thick and voluminous chin-grazing bob that gently flicks inwards towards the ends.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.—
Janice Neumann,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
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According to Sweetie Pet Products, the position, speed, and direction of a wag all contribute to a canine's overall body language.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kirk says that when a cat experiences changes in air pressure, which can also happen while riding in a car, their ears may move or twitch in response.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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That ratio is naturally reversed here, though the director drops in a few snippets of the actual team near the beginning and the end, including a grainy, chilling shot of the real Lemons twitching near the ocean floor.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But for many doctors making the switch, the concierge membership model is the only way to have the kind of personal relationships with patients that attracted them to the profession in the first place.—
Karen Brown,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2025
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Making the switch from using press releases as tactical news vehicles to strategically leveraging them as long-lead PR tools allows companies to stay ahead of the pack.—
Daniel Lotzof,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (Last week: 1) The betting odds have swung massively into Gilgeous-Alexander’s favor with Jokić missing so many games recently with an ankle injury.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Still no timetable on anything, but he’s been able to swing the bat and feel like there’s been some steady improvement day after day.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Alana Kaplan, the head judge and moderator, asked the kids to make a funny face to get their wiggles out.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2025
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If a detector shows a star wiggling back and forth, and if these wiggles occur with regularity, the signal is a good indication that there is a planet in orbit, tugging on its host.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Dec. 2011
Verb
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The patrons were still as Tiger Woods’ ball flashed its Nike swish and stalled before the edge of the cup on No. 16.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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Burks closed that avalanche by swishing a three just before the third quarter buzzer.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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