wiggle room

noun

Synonyms of wiggle roomnext
: leeway, latitude
a contract with wiggle room for further negotiations

Examples of wiggle room in a Sentence

The salesman has some wiggle room to reduce the price of the car. the language of the contract is vague and leaves too much wiggle room
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
More realistically, even convincing him to opt out and sign a longer, flatter deal (say, three years and $60 million) could generate $10-12 million in wiggle room below the first apron, where the Heat are hard-capped. John Hollinger, New York Times, 23 June 2026 Instead, opt for the MzooLuxury Sleep Eye Mask, which offers a little more wiggle room for your lashes while creating an instant blackout curtain between you and a sunlit plane cabin or hotel room. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026 Lead with calm certainty, and give yourself wiggle room while momentum builds. Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026 Then look at your party budget and see if there’s any wiggle room. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiggle room

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiggle room was in 1965

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiggle room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiggle%20room. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster