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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of waddled
Built more like an elite defensive end than a traditional basketball player, Williamson waddled around between plays but was an undeniable force once the game began.
—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Partway up the trail, three penguins waddled past, entirely unbothered by the humans who stepped aside for them, and then belly-slid into the freezing water.
—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Partway up the trail, three penguins waddled past, entirely unbothered by the humans who stepped aside for them, and then belly-slid into the freezing water.
—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddled
Verb
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Latin America has lurched rightward in recent elections, as governments scramble to curtail violence stemming from record cocaine production.
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As the carriage lurched forward, the teen’s mother fell from the vehicle, prompting Romanch Mahajan to jump out in an effort to help her, The Times reported.
Verb
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To ensure Miami 305 can still meet the league's minimum roster requirements, the suspensions will be staggered.
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In exchange for taking these steps, Iran would receive financial relief staggered over time and sequenced to correspond with compliance.
Verb
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After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.
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The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.
Verb
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On the floor, waist-high piles of books tottered like miniature leaning towers of Pisa.
Cite this Entry
“Waddled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddled. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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