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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waddle
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
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
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
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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As Devers launched his 30th home run of the season into the right field seats at Coors Field, Colorado starting pitcher Kyle Freeland took exception to the slugger slowly staggering out of the batter's box, watching the flight of the ball.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Terry staggered to the lobby and collapsed, according to court documents.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As bystanders watched, the luxury yacht lurched to one side, tilting dangerously before taking on water.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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In the face of this onslaught, the alcohol industry’s efforts to make drinking popular again have lurched into paranoia.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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SkyMed follows the triumphs and tribulations of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across the remote skies of Northern Canada, weaving together intense journeys with jaw-dropping medical rescues 20,000 feet in the air in the most remote conditions.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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Editor Kirk Baxter also received praise for weaving together the film’s three parts, which show different points of view over the course of the same 20 minutes of action.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
2 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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Young Hamnet’s shuffling off this mortal coil once laid the groundwork for a masterpiece.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shelters that shuffle people in and out overnight don’t solve anything.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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