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
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
His Japanese guest, usually a paragon of diplomatic cool, visibly squirmed.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
The veterans, of course, are terrific with one later episode set on a plane that finds Mulligan in top squirming form.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
His Japanese guest, usually a paragon of diplomatic cool, visibly squirmed.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
Visibly anxious and more than a little drunk, Emma proceeds to offer up a confession that marks the point of no return in writer-director Kristoffer Borgli’s divisive squirm comedy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
-
Rafa starts to fidget around noon before mama is supposed to meet us for her lunch break.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jost proceeded to read them — as usual squirming while doing it.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Hormuz crisis will not end when oil markets stop twitching.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
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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Padres starter Griffin Canning tossed five innings against his former team.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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The fan encouraged the outfielder to toss a ball up to the youngster sitting next to him.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Physical tics can be as subtle as eye blinking, or involve jerking the arms, or stretching the neck.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Barnard attended the ceremony with Soprano, Lola’s female stand-in and a convincing lookalike, who accepted the collar with considerable enthusiasm and even more considerable wriggling.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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