1

wiggle

verb wig·gle \ ˈwi-gəl \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: wiggle in a Sentence

Definition of wiggle

wiggled; wiggling play \ˈwi-g(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to move to and fro with quick jerky or shaking motions : jiggle

2 : to proceed with or as if with twisting and turning movements : wriggle

transitive verb

: to cause to wiggle

See wiggle defined for English-language learners

See wiggle defined for kids

Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

The puppy wiggled with excitement.
the baby wiggled in her sleep

Recent Examples of wiggle from the Web

This biomechanical organization causes hair cells to wiggle in response to specific sound frequencies or pitches that are mapped out smoothly from low to high, like keys on a piano.

— justin chen, STAT, "Pulses of light restored hearing in gerbils. Could that lead to higher-tech cochlear implants?," 11 July 2018
The Rays ended Barraclough’s 20 2/3-inning scoreless streak by tagging him for a run on Monday night, but the right-hander wiggled out of trouble Tuesday before Graves couldn’t.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins denied another walk-off win as Rays outlast Miami in 16 innings," 4 July 2018
Good days and no complaining Isabella lifts up her arms to show her hands and wiggles her fingers.

— karina bland, azcentral, "Badly burned girl hopes to meet Taylor Swift after taking strength in her music," 2 May 2018
Wagner then found another pack of Michigan fans behind the team's bench and wiggled his fingers, prompting another spike in volume.

— ben bolch, latimes.com, "Michigan runs wild over Texas A&M 99-72 to reach Elite Eight," 23 Mar. 2018
Anna Esler, the mother of Ayla, could be seen holding the child on her lap at the Cook Children’s Ear, Nose and Throat hospital when the baby starts to wiggle and reach for her right ear.

— Fox News, "Video of mom seeing baby hear for first time goes viral," 2 July 2018
From late July through September, a big night out on Bald Head usually means heading over to the beach after dark with the BHI Conservancy to watch hatchlings wiggle out and make their way down to the ocean.

— alison humes, WSJ, "Summer Getaways That You Don’t Need To Sweat Over," 28 June 2018
The video shows two officers blocking one lane and directing cars to go around the snake, which can just barely be seen wiggling across the asphalt.

— scott berson, miamiherald, "Why did the snake cross the road? Who knows, but Virginia cops stopped traffic for it," 20 June 2018
His two-out single wiggled up the middle and cleared the bases to put the Astros ahead 2-0.

— hunter atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Charlie Morton leads Astros to win over Blue Jays," 26 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wiggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wiggle

Middle English wiglen, from or akin to Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wiggelen to totter; akin to Old English wegan to move — more at way

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

wiggle Synonyms

Synonyms

fiddle, fidget, jerk, jig, jiggle, squirm, thrash, thresh, toss, twist, twitch, wriggle, writhe;

Near Antonyms

relax, rest, unwind;

calm (down), still;

Related Words

flit, flutter, twitter;

quake, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, tremble;

2

wiggle

noun

Definition of wiggle

1 : the act of wiggling

2 : shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas

—

wiggly

play \ˈwi-g(ə-)lē\ adjective

Recent Examples of wiggle from the Web

Consensus: Prototype height-weight-speed prospect with wiggle, receiving chops, outstanding production and a reputation for being a great leader.

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "Rating the top running backs in the 2018 NFL Draft, with an eye on the Chiefs' needs | The Kansas City Star," 26 Apr. 2018
And after a moment, success: The raccoon wiggles loose from the jar and begins to saunter off, video shows.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "Raccoon trapped in peanut butter jar ‘tried to thank’ cop who came to the rescue, video shows," 28 June 2018
Press the cutter into the dough and lift up with a sharp quickness without a wiggle.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Recipe: Edna Lewis’ Lard Biscuits," 1 June 2018
Goofy, loving and high energy, Hiccup would do best in an active home that can give him plenty of time to get his wiggles out both physically and mentally.

— azcentral, "Rescue animals available for adoption this week in Metro Phoenix," 25 May 2018
Visitors can climb, jump, crawl and slide on the gigantic springboard, semi-circle step, the wiggle bridge, half-pipe and more.

— brandon patterson, Detroit Free Press, "3 Michigan state parks add water playgrounds for summer," 17 May 2018
Consensus: Upright running style could hurt his long-term durability, but Jones possesses elite burst and wiggle and is a home run threat who at times looks like a younger version of former Chiefs great Jamaal Charles.

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "Live NFL Draft Tracker: Chiefs take three defensive players on Day 2 | The Kansas City Star," 27 Apr. 2018
Getting the wiggles out If your kids seem to be using your house as their playground, why not recruit one of the relatives to get them out of the house for awhile?

— amy schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A preschool teacher shares 7 great ideas to keep the kids busy during Thanksgiving prep," 15 Nov. 2017
Researchers developed formulas to decipher a nuclear explosion’s size — also known as its yield — and its location from the wiggles of a seismograph.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "Meet the scientists keeping a global watch for nuclear explosions," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wiggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of wiggle

1816

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

WIGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

wiggle

verb

Definition of wiggle for English Language Learners

: to move up and down or from side to side with short quick motions

WIGGLE Defined for Kids

1

wiggle

verb wig·gle \ ˈwi-gəl \

Definition of wiggle for Students

wiggled; wiggling

1 : to move up and down or from side to side with quick short motions

She wiggled her toes.

2 : to proceed with twisting and turning movements

It was an awful tangled mess, but … there was room for him to wiggle through …
—Gary Paulsen, Hatchet

2

wiggle

noun

Definition of wiggle for Students

: a twisting turning motion

Learn More about wiggle

See words that rhyme with wiggle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wiggle Spanish Central: Translation of wiggle Nglish: Translation of wiggle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wiggle for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

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