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
Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.
—ABC News, 11 May 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 boy is screaming, squirming.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.
—ABC News, 11 May 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
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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
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
12 June 2026
-
Durrell alternates between slapstick domestic high jinks, wanderings through the lush natural landscape, and increasingly ambitious investigations of biological life, from tracking twitching bacteria in pond water to the mating habits of insects.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 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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Villanova would toss the Owls aside by 20 for its 22nd consecutive win against their Philly opponents, a walkover victory that barely moved the needle anywhere outside of the city limits.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Add salmon to the remaining glaze in the bowl; toss gently to coat.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 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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Although not all the novel’s major characters make it to the end of this uplifting yet tear-jerking work of historical fiction, Six-Thirty safely perseveres.—
Camille Perri,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
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My biggest frustration is the way the operators literally jerk us around with the sudden hard stops.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 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 19 Jun. 2026.
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