waggle 1 of 2

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

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waggle

2 of 2

verb

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
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
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.
    Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
  • 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
  • In the footage, the faceless android is seen suspended from the ceiling, its limbs twitching and moving in an unsettlingly human-like manner.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2025
  • For example, dogs who love running might be twitching their paws while dreaming.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • With Orlando trailing by 2 points less than a minute into the fourth quarter at Spectrum Center following a disastrous third, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball looked to swing the ball to Nick Smith Jr. waiting in the corner.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • In a third quarter run that saw the Gamecocks outscore the Hoosiers 20-7, Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao had Colonial Life Arena jumping swishing a deep three pointer.
    Allison Smith, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • On the ensuing offensive possession, Howell spotted up, gathered a pass and swished one of his eight made 3-pointers on the season.
    Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Waggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggle. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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