as in fidgets
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 squirms
Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.
—Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirms
Verb
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The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jenkins then connected on a pair of TD tosses -- 20 yards to Paul Rios and a three-yarder to Belton, the latter with just eight ticks left before intermission.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Spoken shade amongst the group is as plentiful as actual shade is absent in LA’s concrete desert, and the trio tosses it around with the casual dominance of Shohei Ohtani.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Paul goes to shake her hand but jerks it back, then gives her a left-handed handshake.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Case studies from the National Institutes of Health indicate that fewer than 1% of ankle dislocations occur without broken bones.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
27 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Treasury is losing money on its bond portfolio, and the bond market is experiencing dislocations as the Fed reduces its large post-pandemic balance sheet.—
Allison Schrager,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His body wiggles with excitement, signaling his tail is wagging.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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As that magnet rotates, the filament likewise wiggles back and forth, making its way through the urinary tract by pushing off against its inner walls.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Auburn’s tempo and pre-snap motions were wrinkles that caught Vanderbilt by surprise.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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However, Johnson said the government could argue the facts were needed to support their 13 motions for limits on testimony.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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So says the priest (Ben Hall) to Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who writhes in a dark room, foaming at the mouth before a gathering of fellow Carmelite nuns.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirms. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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