wiggle

verb

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wig·gle | \ ˈwi-gəl

wiggled; wiggling\ ˈwi-g(ə-)liŋ

Definition of wiggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

wiggle

noun

Definition of wiggle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of wiggling

2 : shellfish or fish in cream sauce with peas

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Examples of wiggle in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Like the name suggests, sidewinder snakes slither to the side, leading with their bodies, unlike other species of snakes that wiggle forward and lead with their heads. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, "Snakeskin Reveals Secrets Behind a Sidewinder’s Twisted Wiggle," 8 Feb. 2021 The head’s gotten twisted backward, and Herriot just can’t shift it enough to wiggle the head into the right position. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, "All Creatures Great and Small," 1 Feb. 2021 Bullfrogs croak and Yaqui topminnows wiggle through the pool once fed solely by natural artesian wells pulling ancient water from an aquifer. — Anita Snow, The Christian Science Monitor, "As mountains give way to border wall, where does wildlife go?," 18 Dec. 2020 Bullfrogs croak and Yaqui topminnows wiggle through the pool once fed solely by natural artesian wells pulling ancient water from an aquifer. — Anita Snow, The Christian Science Monitor, "As mountains give way to border wall, where does wildlife go?," 18 Dec. 2020 If a predator grabs a Texas spiny lizard by the tail, the tail can snap off and wiggle to distract the predator while the lizard makes a run for it. — René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, "Texas spiny lizard not as famous as the Texas horned lizard or horny toad, but is a master of disguise with real spunk," 22 Dec. 2020 Can anyone really be surprised by this Final Four, or maneuvers like the Big Ten reducing its games minimum, to wiggle Ohio State into its title contest and steer the Buckeyes toward a shot at a national title? — Jason Gay, WSJ, "College Football’s Playoff: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame…and No Surprises," 21 Dec. 2020 Bullfrogs croak and Yaqui topminnows wiggle through the pool once fed solely by natural artesian wells pulling ancient water from an aquifer. — Anita Snow, The Christian Science Monitor, "As mountains give way to border wall, where does wildlife go?," 18 Dec. 2020 Bullfrogs croak and Yaqui topminnows wiggle through the pool once fed solely by natural artesian wells pulling ancient water from an aquifer. — The Arizona Republic, "Damage from border wall: blown-up mountains, toppled cactus," 17 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The wax will cling and congeal around the cardboard holder and come out in one wiggle. — Washington Post, "Hints From Heloise: Send a letter to your future self," 21 Jan. 2021 Always blessed with game-breaking speed and wiggle without a clear position, the Alabama native evolved into a complete and dominant wide receiver. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes among 4 Gators out for Cotton Bowl," 28 Dec. 2020 Master Teague, who had emerged as a solid lead back without much wiggle, sat for most of that game after taking a hit. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "Where Ohio State and Clemson are better and worse than a year ago: Doug Lesmerises," 25 Dec. 2020 Trey Sermon made a Northwestern defender miss him in the backfield, left tackle Thayer Munford caved in his side of the defensive line, and with a little wiggle, Sermon was gone. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "Ohio State’s Ryan Day was slow to embrace run game Saturday because he’s aggressive all the time: Doug Lesmerises," 19 Dec. 2020 That makes the swimbait shimmy in the water with a side-to-side wiggle and roll that drives fish crazy. — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "10 Modern Classic Hunting and Fishing Tips," 26 Nov. 2020 But lose too many games, and every conference will run out of wiggle. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, "The Ohio State-Maryland football game cancellation is what the Big Ten signed up for: Doug Lesmerises," 13 Nov. 2020 Harvin, though, did not have Toney’s ankle-breaking wiggle and sixth sense for defenders closing in on him. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "UF ready to challenge Georgia after Gators' rout of Missouri," 1 Nov. 2020 This cross between a bottle plug and a darter darts from side to side while maintaining the tight, seductive wiggle of a bottle plug. — John Merwin, Field & Stream, "The 25 Best Striper Surf Lures of All Time," 23 Oct. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

21 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Wiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiggle. Accessed 27 Feb. 2021.

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More Definitions for wiggle

wiggle

verb

English Language Learners Definition of wiggle

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

See the full definition for wiggle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wiggle

verb

wig·gle | \ ˈwi-gəl

wiggled; wiggling

Kids Definition of wiggle

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

wiggle

noun

Kids Definition of wiggle (Entry 2 of 2)

: a twisting turning motion

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