wriggle

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 Play was recycled and Harrison Armstrong ended up firing a good chance too close to goalkeeper Senne Lammens after Iliman Ndiaye had wriggled free down the right. Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026 Emma wriggled obediently out of the offending articles. Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 It was once believed the Worm Moon's name was derived from earthworms wriggling through March's warming soil, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, which heralded the first signs of spring as birds returned to feast on them. Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Feb. 2026 Tuesday, March 3, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky. John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
  • For moist at least, a long history as a word associated with bodily discharge coupled with its more recent use as a sexualized word positioned it as one that makes young modern women squirm more than men.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The veterans, of course, are terrific with one later episode set on a plane that finds Mulligan in top squirming form.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • One day after the fights, a toddler managed to crawl under a fence at Hersheypark's ZooAmerica and stick his hand into the wolf enclosure while his parents were reportedly distracted on their cell phones.
    Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Adobe could be crawling its way out of the software stock abyss, after a buyback and an endorsement from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revived confidence in the digital media provider.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In terms of the complex set design — which looks like a facsimile of the same passage over and over but with subtle differences worming their way in — Kawamura and his team built two identical corridors for cinematographer Keisuke Imamura to follow the actors through, third- and first-person-style.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
  • MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.
    Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But the chain, which does not franchise in the traditional sense, has crept into Idaho and Colorado.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Trailing plants like Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) and common periwinkle (Vinca minor) spill over the edges of the pot, while creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) cover the surface with dense mats.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Scott Roche’s unlikely road to semi-pro football began with prodding from his players, followed by sneaking into a high school stadium to practice.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
  • While others sneak photos of Newsom, a cluster of New York Times reporters just feet away are opting to forgo watching the governor hold court —and are instead watching the Lakers do so.
    Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Trevor Bauer, the former Cy Young Award winner and MLB All-Star, tossed a no-hitter for the independent Long Island Ducks in a 13-0 win over the Lancaster Stormers on Sunday afternoon at Penn Medicine Park in Pennsylvania.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Now, some things are always going to be worth tossing—anything broken that can't be repaired, for example—but for other items, the line between keep or toss isn't so clear cut.
    Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Edelweiss Snacks extended its standby queue to corral the snaking line of hungry Disneylanders waiting to buy a Garlic Cheesy Brat, according to MiceChat.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Another car snakes down the road.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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