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
An alligator waddling on the emergency shoulder of the Florida Turnpike on Friday morning backed up traffic during rush hour as authorities worked to rescue it.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
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
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
The growing eaglets were seen waddling March 24 in Big Bear Valley, the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s executive director Sandy Steers said in a Facebook post.
—Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
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
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
The growing eaglets were seen waddling March 24 in Big Bear Valley, the Friends of Big Bear Valley’s executive director Sandy Steers said in a Facebook post.
—Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
Verb
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To get by offensively, Rajaković is going to have to stagger his prolific scorers pretty strongly.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
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To avoid the logistical logjams that had been predicted, the rollout is being staggered.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The mood is lurching between calm and doom-mongering chaos.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Gregerson’s shows her at the peak of her signature tercets, weaving together the microscopic and the grand threads of science, art, and history into wonderfully rich sonic landscapes.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
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Following Black generational farmers in the American South, Seeds weaves intimate moments into a poetic tribute to legacy, land, and the enduring ties that bind family and community.—
Beatrice Verhoeven,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa. My father has always been an avid learner and reader.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
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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
Verb
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The Sharks also shuffled their defense pairs for Monday’s practice, with Dmitry Orlov and Mario Ferraro forming the top line, Nick Leddy with Timothy Liljegren, and Sam Dickinson paired with John Klingberg.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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Couples, girlfriends, and wellness aficionados were shuffling from pool to plunge, catching up, sitting close, and enjoying the experience together.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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