1
as in to weave
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of writhe
And to make matters that much worse, Tatum, a first-team All-NBA selection the last three seasons, was writhing around the court, holding his right leg, begging for a timeout.
—
Sean Gregory, Time, 13 May 2025
Creatures inhabited every inch of the rocky seafloor, writhing in a patchwork of life.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The performance, part of Haim’s headlining show at the Bellwether, featured Rae writhing around the stage as the band premiered the mid-tempo rock track.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
As usual, however, Charli was onstage solo for most of the night, bodying the songs with her trademark unusually violent dancing: hard fist pumps and hair-whipping, torso wrenching and writhing on the stage floor.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Sean Gregory, Time, 13 May 2025
Creatures inhabited every inch of the rocky seafloor, writhing in a patchwork of life.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The performance, part of Haim’s headlining show at the Bellwether, featured Rae writhing around the stage as the band premiered the mid-tempo rock track.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
As usual, however, Charli was onstage solo for most of the night, bodying the songs with her trademark unusually violent dancing: hard fist pumps and hair-whipping, torso wrenching and writhing on the stage floor.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
Verb
-
In weaving together these stories, Cuffy explores the varying shapes that grief, belief, and belonging can take.—Erin McMullen Buy Now: O Sinners!—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
6 June 2025
-
Stone cut and wove plastic mats, industrial carpeting, and everyday fabrics into strange yet hypnotic composites for the floors and walls.—
Hannah Martin,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
This can prepare your body to safely move things without straining your spine, whether that be a bag of yard clippings, a squirming child, or a box of books.—
Christa Sgobba,
SELF,
4 June 2025
-
His wire-to-wire tenacity made Benet squirm until the final split-second had ticked off the clock.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The battery is mounted to the body and then twisted – one notch to engage a child lock and ensure your youngster doesn't accidentally engage the powerful cutting machine, and another twist to engage battery power.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 June 2025
-
Maeve is absolutely pulling the strings and twisting this family at every turn.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
An input lag of 4.6 milliseconds in the TV's dedicated Game mode is speedy enough for twitch reflexes, and the panel refreshes at 120Hz and supports variable refresh rates.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
-
The sight of his twitching arm, middle finger raised, is a fun touch to an otherwise-underwhelming send-off.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Centered on the author’s experience with an élite team of firefighters, this analysis of California’s wildfires entwines an account of the state’s 2021 fire season with an appraisal of its record of fire suppression.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
Stack and Mary have a complex history together; their fates will become further entwined by the end of the night.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In this puzzle, the fiddle is not the musical instrument, but a type of fidgeting.—
Deb Amlen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Sitting with his defense team in Judge Arun Subramanian’s lower Manhattan courtroom, a steely eyed and fidgeting Combs Friday morning listened as the ‘Me & U’ singer resumed her testimony under questioning from attorney Anna Estevao.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bookbag.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
-
Another tossed a traffic cone into the vehicle’s windshield, damaging it.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
5 May 2025
-
However, the pendulum appears to be jerking back toward the physically and mentally unhealthy skinny extreme–and a new TikTok trend serves as the latest example: SkinnyTok.—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share