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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wriggle
According to Bed Bug Biology and Behavior, the bed bugs wriggling under hotel sheets the world over right now descend from cave-dwelling insects that originally drank bat blood.
—
Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
Edible insects in the form of wriggling maggots or hairy caterpillars are both delicacy and staple in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a central African nation of nearly 120 million people.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Small wonder that although the statue is expressive of Jordan’s signature, physically sprawling move, one leg is as stiff as a pharaoh’s, his feet are weirdly flat, his jersey is pooched as if a possum were wriggling inside it.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
Defense & National Security The Big Story Will Putin ‘wriggle out’ of Zelensky meeting?
—Colin Meyn, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
Edible insects in the form of wriggling maggots or hairy caterpillars are both delicacy and staple in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a central African nation of nearly 120 million people.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Small wonder that although the statue is expressive of Jordan’s signature, physically sprawling move, one leg is as stiff as a pharaoh’s, his feet are weirdly flat, his jersey is pooched as if a possum were wriggling inside it.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
Defense & National Security The Big Story Will Putin ‘wriggle out’ of Zelensky meeting?
—Colin Meyn, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
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What happens next in the final minutes of The Vanishing will leave viewers squirming in their seats and hoping against hope for our vulnerable leading man.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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The open section of their session lasted for 15 minutes — and Howe will have squirmed through every second — but there were laughs amid the stretches and shuttle runs.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a storm crawls like this, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
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Modern Wall Street has killed just about everything cool that walks or crawled at one time or another.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After a scramble from Baltimore’s corner kick, Kerr’s header at the back post wormed through a thicket of defenders, and Cuthbert had the final touch.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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This story has wormed its way into all levels of British cultural output.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
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Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That combination of high winds and creeping progress makes Melissa both unusual and unusually dangerous.—
Sara Sneath,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
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The chill is creeping in and the flowers that once filled your summer containers may be spent, but don't put those pots away just yet.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The night before an away game in Knoxville, Russ and Danny must sneak out of the team hotel and go on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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Whatever your topping of choice, anyone can relate to this pup sneaking a slice.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Baldwin originally filed the lawsuit in New Mexico state court in January, months after his criminal case for involuntary manslaughter was tossed (prosecutors ultimately declined to appeal).—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
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Sprinkle over pretzels and toss until fully coated.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In its search for ample sunlight, the species tightly snakes up trees.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
22 Oct. 2025
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Debates have raged in the busy industry program, standby ticket queues have snaked outside venues for the hottest premieres and the stars — in their droves — have been out in force and on major charm offensives, with distributors using the fest to launch both awards and release campaigns.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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