as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
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as in squirming
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of squirm
Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The open section of their session lasted for 15 minutes — and Howe will have squirmed through every second — but there were laughs amid the stretches and shuttle runs.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
That kind of thing makes a checker squirm.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
What happens next in the final minutes of The Vanishing will leave viewers squirming in their seats and hoping against hope for our vulnerable leading man.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The open section of their session lasted for 15 minutes — and Howe will have squirmed through every second — but there were laughs amid the stretches and shuttle runs.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Even the normally surefire element of a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with its blasts of dissonance pumping up the squirm factor, adds to the heavy-going effect of a movie that seems to go out of its way to be grating.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
That kind of thing makes a checker squirm.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
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Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
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People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism may share symptoms like fidgeting and restlessness.—
Laura Dorwart,
Health,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His eyes twitched in rapid blinks, his lips disappeared as if cold fury were coursing through his body.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Picture objects levitating or twitching without external interference—or switching rooms.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Someone off camera then tossed him that actual T-shirt.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
8 Jan. 2026
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Failing to get a criminal conviction tossed and again complaining about the conditions at Rikers Island, Weinstein wants to begin negotiations with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office ahead of his upcoming trial, his lawyer said during a hearing Thursday.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, as Decker did.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
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The more serious side effects of caffeine overdose include trouble breathing, sudden high blood pressure, muscle twitching, confusion, vomiting and seizures.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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One design aspect that sets it apart from its competitors is its shake alert feature that reminds you to wiggle the contents of the basket at the optimal time.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
27 Dec. 2025
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When it’s done, the center should still wiggle like a gentle Jell-O dance.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Oct. 2025
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Now scientists have found that, with a little fiddling, the feathers can be adjusted to turn flashes of light into laser beams.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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