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
Currently waddling around my house and hoping for the best.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Seven sea lions waddled off a boat and into their newfound home in the Pacific Ocean this morning after being rehabilitated by SeaWorld San Diego's rescue team.
—Kate Murphy, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025
Sure, there are cute ducks waddling around the encampment, but the groaning wind, dense forest, and unyielding mountains summon the series’ long-standing specter of pagan mysticism, as if the area were ruled by old gods who see the Wiskayok high-schoolers not as survivors but trespassers.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
What better person than Musk, who is known for championing efficiency, to bring some fiscal responsibility to the fat, waddling cash cow known as college football.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Seven sea lions waddled off a boat and into their newfound home in the Pacific Ocean this morning after being rehabilitated by SeaWorld San Diego's rescue team.
—Kate Murphy, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025
Sure, there are cute ducks waddling around the encampment, but the groaning wind, dense forest, and unyielding mountains summon the series’ long-standing specter of pagan mysticism, as if the area were ruled by old gods who see the Wiskayok high-schoolers not as survivors but trespassers.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2025
What better person than Musk, who is known for championing efficiency, to bring some fiscal responsibility to the fat, waddling cash cow known as college football.
—Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
Verb
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Even then, this was staggered, with First Division clubs subject to the Green Guide from 1976 onwards and the rest three years later.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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That’s because there are actually 15 different broods at large, 12 of them observing a 17-year schedule and three making their appearance every 13 years—and the broods’ emergences are staggered.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
8 May 2025
Verb
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And now that governments in many rich countries have sharply lurched to the right and taken more skeptical stances on aid, this industry is collapsing.—
Zainab Usman,
Foreign Affairs,
5 May 2025
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German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was one of the first European leaders to grasp the long-term implications of the American lurch toward authoritarianism.—
David Axe,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The choreographer Annie-B Parson weaves her dancers through the action, adding energy and grace without ever slowing the plot.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
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McIlroy’s family history is woven into Northern Ireland’s past, which is marked by conflict, resilience and pride.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2025
Verb
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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
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The nation is tottering on the edge of dictatorship.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Bemused tourists attempt to shuffle through the acrid red and blue flare smoke.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
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All of those departures except for Stark came before the draft, meaning Paton was left to shuffle the chairs and adjust on the fly to ensure the Broncos were prepared.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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