WRIGGLE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

wriggle

verb

ˈri-gəl

Definition of wriggle

as in to squirm

to make jerky or restless movements a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to crawl

to move slowly with the body close to the ground a worm slowly wriggled across the sidewalk

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to worm

to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way within a month of his arrival, this social upstart had wriggled himself into the family's good graces

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wriggle Countless individual tread blocks, divided by wide grooves, wriggled around instead of digging in. — Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 For his part, Sherman, a long-time champion of wriggling remedies, cheered the clearance as a step forward for MDT generally. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2026 Reaching out hands to help the suffering, Didi and Gogo go down themselves—all mankind a wriggling heap. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026 The technology was largely depicted as a portal to the future, a tonic for the ailing Los Angeles production sector, and a way to finally wriggle free from the bonds of antiquated studio protocols. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wriggle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle

Verb

Its defenders will have to do better than making Infantino squirm.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
Last year, Evans told The Times that the interview format, with its squirm-inducing sauces, was a tactic to turn what might otherwise be a typical press tour interview into something raw and real.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of squirm

Verb

Past that, Xbox has to figure out how to crawl out of the hole that is its console market, which has cratered in recent years.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
The feat, says study coauthor and NSO senior scientist Friedrich Wöger, is equivalent to seeing ants crawling on Earth’s surface from an altitude of 100 miles (about 160 km).

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

Like parasites, those jukebox musicals wormed their way into Broadway and slowly killed the medium.

— Jesse Eisenberg, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
After a series of personal setbacks, Ingrid moves to Los Angeles to be closer to Taylor, masterminding their meeting and worming her way into her inner circle.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Definition of worm

Verb

There are no shortage of issues with this club, but one that is creeping back into its clubhouse, and the franchise, is comfort.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026
The toxic mix of oil and an underground water called brine, several times saltier than the ocean, poured into a ditch along Petrolia Lane and crept toward an unnamed stream.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of creep

Verb

Most recently, Hadid seemingly snuck a photo of Cooper in a July Instagram carousel.

— Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
No matter where his assistant coaches went while at Alabama, former coach Nick Saban always had a watchful eye on his staff members who would sneak out of the office for a round of golf.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of sneak

Verb

Here, too, there were echoes of Keegan’s blissful early days, when queues snaked outside the stadium hours before kick-off and every victory felt like alchemy.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District.

— Jack Harvel July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026

Definition of snake

Browse Nearby Words

wretches

wriggle

wriggled

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Style

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of wriggle

verb

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