as in flaps
a quick jerky movement from side to side or up and down
the dog gave its tail a single wag before it flopped back down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in comedians
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
some wag wrote a droll satire on the scandal for the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in waggles
to move from side to side or up and down with quick jerky motions
the cat's tail wagged back and forth in annoyance
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in gossips
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature
tongues will wag as soon as word of the house's selling price gets around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wags
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
One hums with high-speed drills and anxiety; the other echoes with joyful barks and tail wags.
—Henry I. Miller, STAT, 28 Jan. 2026
That has, at least, spawned a rich stream of social media content, with wags across the world editing iconic cricket clips with the commentary coming before them.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Once returned to their moms, Lizzie and Bambie were all wags.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
When Cody the golden retriever was introduced to his new sibling, his owner probably would have hoped for some happy tail wags and some curious sniffs to show his curiosity.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Less bending for pets + slower eating habits = better digestion and more tail wags.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
In a lot of ways, Phil is the tail that wags the dog.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
As Gino wags his finger at his estranged wife, Natalie begins to approach Jasmine.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Noun
Many critics, political pundits, and wags asked, somewhat rhetorically, whether anyone in the administration recalls how handing the responsibility of nuclear weaponry over to machines turned out in the Terminator movies.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2026
One hums with high-speed drills and anxiety; the other echoes with joyful barks and tail wags.
—Henry I. Miller, STAT, 28 Jan. 2026
That has, at least, spawned a rich stream of social media content, with wags across the world editing iconic cricket clips with the commentary coming before them.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Once returned to their moms, Lizzie and Bambie were all wags.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
When Cody the golden retriever was introduced to his new sibling, his owner probably would have hoped for some happy tail wags and some curious sniffs to show his curiosity.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Less bending for pets + slower eating habits = better digestion and more tail wags.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Yet the gas tail still wags the dog.
—David Frykman, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026
When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026
In a lot of ways, Phil is the tail that wags the dog.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
As Gino wags his finger at his estranged wife, Natalie begins to approach Jasmine.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
—Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wags
Verb
-
Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
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To clean your garbage disposal, Lane suggests starting by cleaning the rubber flaps by using dish soap and a brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the rubber flaps that line the disposal.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Karim just talks to the camera about elephants in a conversational tone.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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Karim simply talks to his camera in a conversational tone about the elephants at the San Diego Zoo.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The two-stroke engine pumps about 90-110 decibels, 30 decibels above safe levels.—
Chris Hildreth,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
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During warmups, Celebrini pumps his fist in victory after playing rock-paper-scissors with kids along the glass.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the video, the snake flicks its tongue, a common sensory behavior used to detect chemical cues in the air and identify nearby prey or potential predators.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Brobbey flicks the ball into the path of Diarra, who carries it into the vacated space, before his shot deflects off Axel Tuanzebe and gives Sunderland the lead.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From Monday to Friday, the reception area will serve as a nutrition center for athletes, offering smoothies, protein shakes, granola and anything else an athlete could need.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
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The company, founded in 1980, is best known for its meal replacements, protein shakes, nutritional teas and vitamins.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wags. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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