squiggle

1 of 2

verb

squig·​gle ˈskwi-gəl How to pronounce squiggle (audio)
squiggled; squiggling ˈskwi-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce squiggle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: squirm, wriggle
squiggling in her seat
2
: to write or paint hastily : scribble

transitive verb

1
2
: to form or cause to form in squiggles

squiggle

2 of 2

noun

: a short wavy twist or line : curlicue
especially : an illegible scrawl
squiggly adjective

Examples of squiggle in a Sentence

Verb a pediatrician's waiting room full of squiggling toddlers there are some illegible notes squiggled in the margins of the old book Noun His handwriting looks like a bunch of squiggles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Home to 170,000 people, Prizren is considered the country’s cultural hub: picturesque bridges cross the eponymous river, and a warren of cobblestone paths squiggle out of the central plaza. Naomi Tomky, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2024 The right-hand detour into VIR's inner loop comes up quickly, but the Sapphire's humongous 10-piston front brake calipers squeeze trackworthy carbon-ceramic rotors to haul this cruise missile smartly down to turn-in speed without a hint of squirm or squiggle. Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 26 Mar. 2023 Democrats who control the legislature have adopted a map with lines that squiggle snake-like across the state to swoop up Democratic voters and relegate Republicans to a few districts. chicagotribune.com, 10 Nov. 2021 Squiggly Monster had his many eyes on the prize, but just couldn’t squiggle his way to a win. Andrea Towers, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2021 Glass noodles squiggle in the mix for a little snap. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2021 The surrounding plasma will become too hot for even radio waves to squiggle through, and for six terrifying minutes, the passengers won’t be able to talk with Mission Control. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2020 The tadpoles of western toads squiggle, and water skeeters perform a graceful backwoods ballet. Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, 27 May 2018
Noun
Or the artful, quiet squiggles of Citizens of Humanity and Rock & Republic? Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 A bit of tire hum from the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber barely eclipses the playful exhaust notes throughout the rev range, and traction-control programming from Bosch allows a healthy enough dose of tail-end squiggle out of corners to make any driver feel heroic. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Soon, stacking up the components of a dish on square or rectangular plates and decorating them with colorful dots, squiggles and swooshes became the signature look of the 1990s. Julia Moskin, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2024 In true Shaw fashion, the crafter opted to make squiggles out of her ribbons. Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2023 Snowy flounder, sour cabbage and glassy thin noodles add up to a restorative soup, and squiggles of lamb, garlic and crisp green bell peppers, everything smoky from the wok, arrive with a blast of red chiles and cumin. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 Each hazelnut linzer cookie, fennel seed squiggle and millet muffin is a means to connect to one another. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 No one is born with neural circuits for connecting the sounds of speech to squiggles on paper. Sarah Carr, Scientific American, 16 Nov. 2023 There are only so many of those charts that start with enormous E’s which shrink and retreat down to an indecipherable mass of squiggles. Hazlitt, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squiggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

blend of squirm and wriggle

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1816, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squiggle was circa 1816

Dictionary Entries Near squiggle

Cite this Entry

“Squiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squiggle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

squiggle

noun
squig·​gle
ˈskwig-əl
: a short wavy twist or line : curlicue

More from Merriam-Webster on squiggle

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