as in lurching
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 waddling
Video footage from Levi’s Stadium shows people dressed as trees waddling onto the field and taking position before Bad Bunny's performance kicks off.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Like, waddling-around, can't-see-your-feet, fifteen-chins fat.
—Gretchen Hansen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
In an October 23 Instagram video posted by user @jenjinete, a tiny Shih Tzu puppy can be seen waddling onto the porch, tail wagging rapidly, as the mailman approaches to make the day's delivery.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
More serious collectors may prefer waddling to the local Cars & Coffee with an earlier VW, recalling a kinder, gentler, and far slower-paced time than our present age.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
But Seymour did not opt for the waddling bird in the hand.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Like, waddling-around, can't-see-your-feet, fifteen-chins fat.
—Gretchen Hansen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
In an October 23 Instagram video posted by user @jenjinete, a tiny Shih Tzu puppy can be seen waddling onto the porch, tail wagging rapidly, as the mailman approaches to make the day's delivery.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
More serious collectors may prefer waddling to the local Cars & Coffee with an earlier VW, recalling a kinder, gentler, and far slower-paced time than our present age.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
But Seymour did not opt for the waddling bird in the hand.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddling
Verb
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Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
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There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of staggering the fests and conferences over nine or 11 days, everything is now crammed into the same seven-day period, including film and TV, education, comedy and tech.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Add additional rows of blocks, staggering them over the previous layer and using construction adhesive between rows.—
Daniel Modlin,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
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So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The film unfolds on an elite engineering campus, weaving together zombie horror, youth comedy and social satire.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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The voice of Cuban singer Amaury Gutiérrez added a melodic thread, weaving nostalgia and pride into the atmosphere.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Models are tottering on the cobblestoned Bond Street with their heels getting stuck in the rivets.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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Now, even that tiny effort is tottering.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But in the top of the third in a scoreless game, Ponce attempted to field a ground ball and suffered a non-contact injury, hopping for a few seconds in pain before rolling to the dirt.—
Tyler Erzberger,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The living and dining rooms are refined entertaining spaces, while the open-concept family room serves as the heart of the home with walls of windows providing views of the pool, backyard and rolling fairways beyond.—
Judi Wright,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Expect to see crunching tackles, stomping recovery runs and heroic blocks from a 22-year-old centre-back who will be a leader for his country at their first World Cup.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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So, let’s circle back to the original question on stomping.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddling. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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