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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Recent Examples of squirmed
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
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
-
Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
My hand twitched toward the phone, muscle memory stronger than willpower.—
Maggie Downs,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This rich and creamy dip has a base of cream cheese and Cheddar, with bacon, green onions, and a bit of crunch from almonds tossed on top.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Loftis tossed what could have been two interceptions, both of which were dropped by Mean Green defenders.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One 14 month old tester happily clapped and wiggled along to the songs—a feature that can be adjusted as needed.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Lindsey stepped back and wiggled his right hand toward Smith, then Lindsey put the fullback in motion and again briefly signaled to Smith before the ball was snapped.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
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Communities across the globe probably independently fiddled their way towards the invention of proto lip balms over and over.—
Mark Hay,
Popular Science,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024.—
Rachel Scharf,
Billboard,
19 Oct. 2025
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Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.—
Andy Scholes,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Late in the second half against the Cowboys, Surtain tried to wrap up Pickens and twisted 360 degrees while trying to bring the wideout down around his upper body.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
27 Oct. 2025
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His right foot twisted sharply to the side in what was such a gruesome injury that the TV crew didn't replay it.—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirmed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirmed. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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