wriggle

verb

ˈri-gəl How to pronounce wriggle (audio)
Definition of wrigglenext
1
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground a worm slowly wriggled across the sidewalk

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3
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

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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 After that moment, Ali was able to wriggle his way out of everything Hotch through at him from there. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 The baby squirrel wriggled, knocked from its forest home in the storm. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 The overwhelming success of Season 1 gave the executive producers wriggle room for Season 2. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026 The toddler has already slid halfway down her mother’s lap, her small torso thrown back, using her foot as leverage to wriggle free. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
  1. squirm
  2. crawl
  3. worm
  4. twitch
  5. creep
  6. sneak
  7. toss
  8. snake
Verb
  • American Horror Story loves nothing more than making viewers squirm.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The preview ends with a heart-swelling image of Osbourne smiling and squirming with joy in his throne.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of squirm
Verb
  • Introduced crawling through the Trask family’s field, her black blood spattering their rich soil like a human pesticide, Cathy personifies the series’ potent blend of dread and beauty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But centering a nearly dead Cathy Ames (Florence Pugh) is Kazan’s entire intention with this project, and snagging us with the image of her bloody body crawling toward the Trasks’ farmhouse is a tip of the hand toward where East of Eden is going.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Over the next several decades, and countless strangulations, Homer and Bart wormed their way into our hearts.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The idea wormed its way through the State Fair machinery, and with a month and a half to go until gates opened, EatFuti heard they’d be allowed to test a pilot program.
    — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of worm
Verb
  • This is not easy for Robin (Griffin), who, judging by his nervously twitching legs and tendency to info-dump on interlocutors, finds ordinary interactions very stressful.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When Karen goes to visit Hanneke in the hospital, Hanneke’s hand starts to twitch.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Before the girls perform for Eloise, Paulina creeps into the cafeteria alone, carefully made up and dressed in baby blue chiffon (costume designer Qween Jean continues to shoot nothing but net).
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Rain creeps back into the forecast by the middle of next week, when the tides are expected to be closer to normal.
    — Alex Harris Updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of creep
Verb
  • Ersery, a Ruskin product, snuck out of the KC metro to become an all-Big Ten left tackle for Minnesota.
    — PJ Green September 24, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Just ask the guy who decided to sneak onto his property and shoot one of his deer.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Some reports claimed that they were tossed onto the road near the site of his former toll booth.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • If using a can, toss it in the fridge for a few hours, or even the freezer for a bit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of toss
Verb
  • Lincoln Road has the street space to entertain snaking lines of excited locals and visitors.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The private organizing committee has a rough sketch of the path that will snake through all 50 states.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of snake

Browse Nearby Words

wretches
wriggle
wriggled
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Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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