as in anxiety
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements
one dental patient in the waiting room had a bad case of the fidgets
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in twitches
to make jerky or restless movements
small children are likely to fidget in church
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fidgets
Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.
—Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fidgets
Verb
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But don’t let any of that hinder you from seeing director/co-screenwriter Ryan Prows’ nutso horror movie, which also tosses some decidedly less effective social commentary onto the barbie.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Some lay them flat, others hang them up, and the last set tosses them into a bin.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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The video suddenly jerks away as the vehicle starts to move and shots can be heard.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Buttermilk the cow is an interactive toy that sings, wiggles its ears, and teaches little ones animal sounds.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
28 Nov. 2025
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His body wiggles with excitement, signaling his tail is wagging.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Congress fiddles while structural defects in Medicare and Social Security threaten to engulf the programs.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fidgets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fidgets. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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