as in fidgeted
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of squirmed
Juana Rodriguez was bound for hours as her 3-year old son cried and squirmed, according to the ACLU lawsuit that was filed on behalf of three Latino families.
—
Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirmed
Verb
-
Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Baby Briana’s arms twitched and legs flopped against cold concrete.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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The two stood nose-to-nose on the field when the Steelers player grabbed onto Chase’s facemask, jerked his head and appeared to punch him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Martha Stewart hosted a luncheon at Joe’s Stone Crab, Italian celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini tossed slabs of beef into an eager dinner crowd, and Ray reprised her Burger Bash, where everything from Kool-Aid pickles to foie gras adorned smashed wagyu patties on potato buns.—
J.M. Hirsch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
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As Sacramento State prepares to blitz onto a bigger stage, a flag has already been tossed onto the field.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dyes shot a double-leg takedown on Stockton and was about to bring him to the mat, but the nimble Stockton wiggled out and, in a blink, pinned Dyes for the win.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
22 Feb. 2026
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On her 2023 debut, the Montreal producer wiggled through new age, trip-hop, and ambient meditations delivered in an ASMR whisper.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But what does some scientist know about eating fruit, of all things, when your hamstring feels like it’s being fiddled by Satan?—
Dan England,
Outside,
5 Feb. 2026
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As Rossini stowed her purse in a tiny back office, a manager named Katie Atlas was onboarding a new employee, a young woman who fiddled nervously with her necklace.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Doncic writhed below the basket, spending a stoppage of 2-plus minutes with a Lakers trainer kneeling beside him.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
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As a teller activated an alarm and called 911 from under her station desk, Brown writhed on the carpet.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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With 12 seconds left in the first period, leading 5-0, Hruby had Martinez’s arm twisted in an awkward angle.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
22 Feb. 2026
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Hill was running toward the sideline and planted his left foot, and his knee twisted as he was getting pulled down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Squirmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirmed. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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