as in staggers
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 waddles
One solitary penguin rejects the breeding and feeding grounds of his fellow birds, and waddles toward icy mountains in the distance, undoubtedly to its death.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Grande then waddles out in the over-the-top ensemble, only to be met by Grombol, who breaks the bad news that the Christmas tree is no longer available to view.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2025
Eventually, the group waddles the alligator over to a waiting pickup truck and manages to lift the reptile even higher to push it into the bed of the truck.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
When Paddington first waddles on stage during the new West End musical based on the beloved bear, the audience at the Savoy Theatre can hardly contain their excitement.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Ursula waddles back into the ocean, knowing full well that sometimes girl code is the harshest weapon of all.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Grande then waddles out in the over-the-top ensemble, only to be met by Grombol, who breaks the bad news that the Christmas tree is no longer available to view.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2025
Eventually, the group waddles the alligator over to a waiting pickup truck and manages to lift the reptile even higher to push it into the bed of the truck.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
When Paddington first waddles on stage during the new West End musical based on the beloved bear, the audience at the Savoy Theatre can hardly contain their excitement.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
Ursula waddles back into the ocean, knowing full well that sometimes girl code is the harshest weapon of all.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddles
Verb
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Because of the program's size, the Social Security Administration (SSA) staggers payments across the month to keep the system running smoothly.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
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But Roman breaks free, staggers to his feet and appears to wipe his face, apparently from pepper spray.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
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Three seconds later, the Honda crashes into a parked car with such force its tires fly off the street, the pile of cars lurches forward several feet and snow billows.—
Claire Galofaro,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The train weaves through tall mountains and lush green jungle—ferns, bromeliads and plenty of green foliage consume the right-hand side of the train.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
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Or, take Highway 101 through Hopland and Ukiah to Highway 20, which weaves through stunning forests on its way west toward the coast and Fort Bragg.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddles. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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