as in lurched
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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Recent Examples of waddled
Luna, the family’s Labradoodle, waddled in and lapped water from the bowl.
—
Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
When temperatures dropped below 30 degrees this month, the penguins waddled to warmth by going to their indoor enclosure.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
When temperatures dropped below 30 degrees this month, the penguins waddled to warmth by going to their indoor enclosure.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddled
Verb
-
So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, federal policy has lurched in opposite directions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But Betts’ staggered playing time will only last so long, and the Dodgers would like to refrain from having both Kim and Freeland on the bench.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Indiana has staggered statewide elections, so Bray is not up for reelection until 2028, but his leadership position could be in jeopardy with the results of Tuesday's election.—
Caroline Linton,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Shielded by her team, Cardi B shuffled out to the street, a blob of black nylon.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.—
The Christian Science Monitor,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddled. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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