shimmy

verb

Definition of shimmynext
1
as in to clamber

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in to tap-dance

Related Words

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 shimmy The trio then shimmied back on to stage, with Coughlan and Fallon embracing as the madcap segment came to an end, and the show cut to a sketch in which Coughlan sent up her film The Faraway Tree with an explicit rap for studio executives. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026 In an interview with Forbes, for instance, Generalist engineers describe the model giving a plastic bag a little shake to get a plush toy to shimmy inside, even though such a move wasn’t explicitly programmed in the training data. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026 As the objects shimmy, an umbrella emerges from behind to join in. — Shannon Taggart, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026 That’s when Rannells slips on a clown mask and starts to shimmy. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shimmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shimmy
  1. clamber
  2. boogie
  3. shinny
  4. bop
  5. skin
  6. waltz
  7. climb
  8. tango
Verb
  • The Northern California amusement parks that exist today include Children’s Wonderland in Vallejo, where children enter through castle doors guarded by crocodiles to clamber on a teapot, pirate ship and pumpkin carriage.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
  • Video on state broadcaster CCTV showed the students, wearing bright orange life vests, clambering onto boats that took them away from the surreal scene of school buildings rising out of a lake of muddy water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of clamber
Verb
  • Unbothered, Louis smirked at his sister and continued to boogie to the beat.
    — Alicia Brunker, InStyle, 11 June 2026
  • My dad—who always loved to dance—heard the beat and began to boogie his way through the front door.
    — Ashley Parker, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of boogie
Verb
  • Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris’ darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights. Click.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
  • The slippery custom began a half-century ago merely as a means to dissuade drunken daredevils from attempting to shinny up the poles in order to mingle with paying guests.
    — DOUG MACCASH | Staff writer, NOLA.com, 25 Jan. 2021
Definition of shinny
Verb
  • Kansas Citians soaked up the sun on Friday night, swing dancing, swaying and bopping along to Sheryl Crow on the FIFA Fan Fest stage.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • Whether your itinerary is packed with sweaty mountain hikes, relaxing beach days, or bopping around wine bars, staying cool is essential in summer heatwaves.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
Definition of bop
Verb
  • Onion skins to add nutrients to soil, either through compost heap or by placing scraps directly in the dirt.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 7 July 2026
  • All the specimens were skinned first, and the team removed any excess flesh and internal organs.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
Definition of skin
Verb
  • Jey Uso lost to Oba Femi and decided to waltz over to SmackDown to try to get a shot at Zayn’s title.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • Sweden waltzed to a 5-1 victory against Tunisia in its opener, with its forward line of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres capitalizing on some poor defending.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
Definition of waltz
Verb
  • The Current will look to climb from sixth in the NWSL standings during the heart of the season without its most crucial piece.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Walmart actually hit an all-time closing high back on May 19 and has been rolling over ever since, while Target kept climbing.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Definition of climb
Verb
  • Eliminating even more discomfort by only having one cord to tango with is a win for me.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
  • With technical excellence and dramatic flair, the pair tangoed to one of the loudest crowd receptions of the competition.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of tango

Browse Nearby Words

shimmies
shimmy
shimmying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shimmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shimmy. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on shimmy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shimmy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All