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waddle

verb

ˈwä-dᵊl How to pronounce waddle (audio)
Definition of waddlenext
as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side the duck waddled back into the water we watched the penguins waddle over the ice together

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waddle Dodgers two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani waddled through the clubhouse after the Dodgers’ 4-3 comeback victory against the Padres on Friday night, the bulging ice wraps around his left knee and right arm creating a penguin-like effect to his gait. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026 Yet one place that Merlin is allowed is inside Mexican leader Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential palace, waddling onto stage on Monday morning for her daily briefing. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 June 2026 In less than two weeks, Merlín went from waddling through the streets of Mexico City during Mexico's opening victory to visiting the presidential palace. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Once considered delightfully kitschy relics of suburban Americana, porch geese are waddling their way back into the spotlight. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
  1. stagger
  2. lurch
  3. weave
  4. totter
  5. shuffle
Verb
  • To adjust to the limited space, many teams are expected to stagger arrivals of athletes and officials.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Logan wields unbreakable, atomically sharp adamantium claws, yet enemies feel like bloated punching bags that require mindless button-mashing to stagger.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stagger
Verb
  • Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • One more try and the orchestra slides up the expressive contrast a few notches to intensify the feeling of lurching from mood to mood.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • Among the guests at the launch celebration were Coco Rocha and Debbie Harry, weaving through the space and stopping at the backlit bar for drinks, nodding along to the sounds of DJ duo Las Flaquitas.
    — Ruby Ford-Dunker, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Her committed advocacy is well known; her brilliance in recognizing a constellation of facts and weaving them together to find solutions is another part of her legacy.
    — Susan Daria Landino, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Like a lot of us who tottered into consciousness in the second half of the 20th century, Les Claypool grew up with cartoons from the family television beaming into his retinas.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Outside, a gull tottered to the window and tapped its beak against the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of totter
Verb
  • The video, made in collaboration with faceless director Lauzza, features buildings shuffling on beat and other excerpts of British culture.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Senate Leadership Fund, the main GOP Senate super PAC, also shuffled some of its reservations, removing $900,000 in broadcast buys in the state while adding $400,000 in digital ads.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Browse Nearby Words

waddings
waddle
waddled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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