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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waddling
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
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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Back then, Newcastle’s thin squad staggered between results, lurching from challenging the best sides in the league to befuddling losses to inferior squads.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cheng likes to build muni bond ladders, which means staggering the maturity dates of multiple bonds.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
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To get through the season and the playoffs, staggering the minutes of Green and Horford is logical, even with Quintin Post picking up some center minutes.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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So, if the Phillies were to target Bichette, there would be some sort of shuffling in the infield.—
Patrick McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to illegally shuffling money from his state Senate campaign account to his federal congressional campaign account.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The debate over lasting solutions reveals the complexity of how criminal organizations have grown so powerful, weaving themselves into nearly every layer of Brazilian society over time.—
Alessandra Freitas,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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What results is a familiar historical drama, weaving together many various characters in the buildup to the climactic courtroom showdown.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Jim Irsay stood beside his private jet just days after the 2021 season ended and made sure the camera was rolling to capture his thoughts.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
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The former governor lingered onstage after the cameras stopped rolling, shaking hands with donors and old friends, the trappings of power slipping away.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The sound of her stomping up the staircase causes her parents to share a look of weary consternation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddling. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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