as in flap
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
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as in comedian
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 to flap
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 to gossip
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wag
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Steve Lopez, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Connecticut’s Tina Charles stepped in and wagged her finger toward Clark, then the Sun’s Marina Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Noun
The direction of the wag matters, too—research suggests that dogs tend to wag more to the right when feeling positive and to the left when experiencing negative emotions.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
His fans got nuzzles, licks and tail wags in return.
—Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
Tails were wagging and most of the dogs had that expression that looked like a smile, mouth half-open, tongue dangling.
—Steve Lopez, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Connecticut’s Tina Charles stepped in and wagged her finger toward Clark, then the Sun’s Marina Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground.
—Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wag
Verb
-
One float depicted him as an outlaw, riding a motorcycle through a window to freedom; another showed his big ears flapping triumphantly in the wind.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
5 July 2025
-
The moths were still able to flap their wings freely and turn in different directions.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
In the series’ signature shot, neighbors gossiped from their windows across the airshaft, their voices overlapping.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
Small wonder that intelligence services had to work overtime gathering every scrap of information or even gossip to learn even the basics about another country's simple economic statistics – much less its secrets.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
Verb
-
Think yachts bobbing in the harbor, beachfront homes with glass walls, and brunches that casually cost three figures.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
-
Jurors’ attention was rapt during the testimony of key witnesses, including Ventura, their heads bobbing from questioner to witness.—
Kara Scannell,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Your words were steady, steeped in the old stories, but my eyes flicked to the window, unafraid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
-
Superman is more conventional than Gunn’s Guardians flicks, or even his DC outings The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, yet he’s carried over the unhinged, off-kilter fun of those films.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Not talking an exceptionally high level; not the top-shelf stuff.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
14 July 2025
-
General manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with media during a press conference at Staples Center on August 10, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
But the humble protein powerhouse has never seemed to be able to shake the bad reputation.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
-
But in that time of rounding corners only to find another door closed, my relentless hopefulness had finally been shaken.—
Kelsey Cox,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
The fearful pup stepped out to greet her, his tail twitching—his first show of trust in a long time.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
-
So instead, designers tweaked certain details, like twitching nerves under his skin and the iridescence in his scales.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
Mize otherwise pumped his fastball to stay in advantageous counts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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Then came the devastating diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes enlarged and weakened, leaving it unable to pump blood effectively.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wag. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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