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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Recent Examples of squirm
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
Its marketing releases are their own events in and of themselves, and Take-Two probably does not care at all about making its competitors squirm by not offering a specific release date (meant to be this fall).
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjusting to Life with a Defender Four-wheel disc brakes also provide plenty of stopping power, though stomping on the brake pedal causes some squirming from the tail end due to the high center of gravity.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Joseph Quinn, the terrific British actor from A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2 (and our next Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps), spends the bulk of this picture squirming in torment, emitting ear-splitting noises from deep within the pits of hell.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Noun
The cardinals are sworn to secrecy, though a few details have inevitably squirmed outside through the chapel walls over the years.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
Its marketing releases are their own events in and of themselves, and Take-Two probably does not care at all about making its competitors squirm by not offering a specific release date (meant to be this fall).
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjusting to Life with a Defender Four-wheel disc brakes also provide plenty of stopping power, though stomping on the brake pedal causes some squirming from the tail end due to the high center of gravity.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Joseph Quinn, the terrific British actor from A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2 (and our next Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps), spends the bulk of this picture squirming in torment, emitting ear-splitting noises from deep within the pits of hell.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
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For weeks, Combs, 55, has maintained an attentive and easygoing presence inside a Manhattan federal courtroom — occasionally shaking his head, fidgeting in his seat or passing notes to his attorneys.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
18 June 2025
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Part of identifying suspicious travelers relies on noticing behaviors such as fidgeting or having a penetrating stare, which government watchdogs and some lawmakers have criticized in the past as an unreliable basis for probable cause.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Animated objects tend to activate the deeply rooted human impulse to perceive things that move as alive—a tendency harnessed to great effect in the uncannily twitching wires of Pol Bury’s reliefs or Robert Breer’s creeping domes.—
Marina Isgro,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
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For weeks, social media has been flooded with videos of federal agents, their faces often shrouded by masks, violently arresting bystanders who are filming their actions, dragging a taco stand vendor by her arm and tossing smoke bombs into a crowd of angry onlookers.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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They’re rolled across bathroom floors, stored in public bins at TSA checkpoints, and tossed into airplane cargo holds.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2025
Verb
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Then, of course, there were the jerking motions and the cognitive decline.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
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More often than not, the jerking movements to get free only bring the meal into contact with more points of sticky contact.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Verb
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But every now and then, one of those drunken fireflies wiggles back over toward the plate, the strike zone, dodging a hitter’s swing and landing safely, right where it was meant to be.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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The child will wiggle its body and eventually learn to swing, even if nobody gives instructions.—
Steven Strogatz,
Quanta Magazine,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Life’s hard enough, and if facial fiddling is music to your ears, have at it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
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The fiddling pays off when the fresh herb vinaigrette dresses a mix of Iceberg lettuce and one of the mixed greens combos sold in the marketplace.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In a world of neon, glitter and stiletto boots, Cyrus writhes against walls and struts down sidewalks, notably the Hollywood Walk of Fame.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Even in the shade of a fruit tree, you could be surrounded by tiny skyscrapers — not made of steel or concrete, but of microscopic worms wriggling and writhing into the shape of long, vertical towers.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Verb
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As Sofia unfolded the pages during her graduation celebration, her voice trembled.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
18 June 2025
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Already nervous and trembling, Wood captures the terror and claustrophobia of having your head clamped in place and one eye pried open with a speculum.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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