wriggles; wriggled; wriggling
1
: to twist from side to side with small quick movements like a worm
The children wriggled and squirmed in their chairs.
She managed to wriggle free of her ropes.
They wriggled out of their wet clothes.
I had trouble getting the wriggling fish off my hook.
2
always followed by an adverb or preposition
: to move forward by twisting and turning
The snake wriggled across the path and went underneath a bush.
He was able to wriggle through the narrow opening.
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/wriggle. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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