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
Television Academy viewers didn’t treat The Penguin like some waddling bafoonish, cartoon villain, rather as a high-end prestige series.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 July 2025
Then a mascot dressed as a packet of olives waddled past, breaking the spell.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
Humanoid robots waddled, stumbled and occasionally face-planted their way through a 3-on-3 soccer tournament in Beijing on Saturday that looked more like the first day of little league than the rise of a robotic Lionel Messi.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Later, Happy's hopes of winning the prestigious Tour Championship are nearly crushed — or crunched — when Morris waddles up from a water feature and clamps down on Happy's golf ball.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 July 2025
Then a mascot dressed as a packet of olives waddled past, breaking the spell.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
Humanoid robots waddled, stumbled and occasionally face-planted their way through a 3-on-3 soccer tournament in Beijing on Saturday that looked more like the first day of little league than the rise of a robotic Lionel Messi.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Later, Happy's hopes of winning the prestigious Tour Championship are nearly crushed — or crunched — when Morris waddles up from a water feature and clamps down on Happy's golf ball.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
Verb
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Roughly two-thirds of the state’s billionaires made their fortunes in finance and investments, including richest resident (former NYC mayor) Michael Bloomberg, who’s worth staggering $109 billion.—
Ella Malmgren,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Losing Garcia for any length of time would further stagger an Astros pitching staff that can ill afford any more attrition.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To make for a more energy efficient and less nerve-racking exodus experience, once the line grows large enough, pulsing begins, wherein vehicles move in packs rather than lurch along at 5 mph.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The museum also held workshops on weaving motankas (traditional Ukrainian rag dolls) and a blacksmithing festival.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
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On Water Expeditions The Hooghly River weaves through the Indian state of West Bengal from the Ganges, its parent river, to the sea, through a landscape lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Joe Biden tottered and fell (literally as well as metaphorically), more than a few pundits compared him to Lear, a man who was ruined by age, pride, and the flattery of sycophants.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
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Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Declining enrollment means the district may need to shuffle schools, students, or teachers to ensure each school is well attended, and the student-teacher ratios are well-balanced.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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