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
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Recent Examples of waddle
There’s a pastoral serenity to the place, with geese waddling in a line and sheep and cows grazing, but Munir continues to carry his sadness like a heavy burden.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
The heartwarming footage shows the infant throwing caution to the wind by making the brave decision to let go of the banister, before confidently waddling over to his shocked father, 36, who can't believe his eyes.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
The Penguin waddled home with Supporting Visual Effects.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
The birds waddled out into the field, as Fritz’s engine sputtered up.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
The heartwarming footage shows the infant throwing caution to the wind by making the brave decision to let go of the banister, before confidently waddling over to his shocked father, 36, who can't believe his eyes.
—Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
The Penguin waddled home with Supporting Visual Effects.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
The birds waddled out into the field, as Fritz’s engine sputtered up.
—Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
Verb
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As Harry staggers away from what's left of his victim, Richie seems satisfied.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
20 Apr. 2025
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The data collection efforts that have been shut down or are at risk of being curtailed are staggering in their breadth.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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My stomach dropped as my seat lurched backwards, pointing me towards the shoreline.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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As the war lurched into its fourth year, Russian losses of tanks, fighting vehicles and other heavy equipment had exceeded 20,000, according to the analysts at the Oryx intelligence collective, which confirms each loss with imagery from the front line.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Sherrod opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown, weaving through the defense before breaking into the open backfield.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
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Emotive, enchanting and exotic, the track weaves kalimba and chanting vocals with soft, brooding piano and string parts — and even a subtle harp.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Through a popular uprising and a long and hideous civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime tottered at times, but held on, propped up by allies Russia and Iran.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2025
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Buruma has much to say about the shifting sands of loyalties as the Nazi and Japanese empires collapsed and the dominions of the old European imperialist powers tottered.—
Max Hastings,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2013
Verb
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Then, around 200 million years ago, Pangaea began splitting apart, a geological breakup that formed the Atlantic Ocean, and eastern North America shuffled toward its current position on the globe.—
Alexandra Witze,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Phillies can shuffle their rotation with the benefit of two upcoming off days.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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