as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in squirming
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squirm
Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
The boy is screaming, squirming.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
Noun
Visibly anxious and more than a little drunk, Emma proceeds to offer up a confession that marks the point of no return in writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s divisive squirm comedy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
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A lot of those people have Victoria Baumann and Charlie Moreton to thank, the father-daughter duo behind Victoria Essie Studio that produces fidget toys and other knickknacks out of their homes in North Carolina.—
Jennifer Liu
Valentina Duarte,
CNBC,
14 June 2026
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Rafa starts to fidget around noon before mama is supposed to meet us for her lunch break.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Jost proceeded to read them — as usual squirming while doing it.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
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Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In both cases, tornadoes about 200 yards wide traveled roughly 2 miles, toppling trees, tossing lawn furniture and knocking down power lines.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
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Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Don’t twist or jerk the tick, which can cause the mouth to break off in your skin.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Barnard attended the ceremony with Soprano, Lola’s female stand-in and a convincing lookalike, who accepted the collar with considerable enthusiasm and even more considerable wriggling.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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