Synonyms of waddles

waddles

verb

present tense third-person singular of waddle

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• staggers
• lurches
• shuffles
• weaves
• totters
• stomps
• stumbles
• careens
• teeters
• rolls
• reels
• rocks
• sways
• dodders
• clomps
• wobbles
• wavers
• seesaws
• lumbers
• flounders
• barges
• clumps
• pounds
• stamps
• lumps
• shambles
• tramps
• swags
• blunders
• tromps
• scuffs
• galumphs
• scuffles

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of waddles

With a sigh, the German lady picks up her bags and waddles away. — Esther Yi, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

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