zag

[zag]

verb (used without object)

zagged, zagging 

1. to move in one of the two directions followed in a zigzag course.

   First we zigged, then we zagged, trying to avoid the bull.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zag¹

First recorded in 1785–95; extracted from zigzag

Example Sentences

While not inappropriate to a story in which fictions swamp facts, these zigs and zags can pull you out of the story rather than drawing you deeper in.

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Going forward, the plot zigs and zags, dipping in and out of each character’s life.

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“Flexibility is key. Zig when others zag: If you go to the most popular places at the most popular times, it's going to be crowded and expensive,” Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst, Bankrate.com.

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"There'll be zigs and zags. Difficult aspects to it. But the prospect is there."

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“People trust me,” Foreman once told USA Today of the zigs and zags in his colorful and varied career.

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When To Use

What does zag mean?

Zag is an informal verb that means to move in one of the directions in a zigzag pattern.A zigzag is a line of alternating, sharp up-and-down turns that form peaks and valleys kind of resembling the letter Z. Zigzag can also be used as a verb meaning to move back and forth while traveling forward in a way that resembles this pattern.The word zig can be used to mean the same thing as zag. However, the two terms are typically used together, in which case they mean to move in opposite directions. This is usually used in a somewhat humorous way.Zig and zag are most commonly used in the context of physical movement, but they are sometimes used in situations in which people keep doing different things, such as when changing their minds back and forth.Example: I threw the ball where I said I was going to throw it, but you zigged when you should have zagged!