as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements
the baby wiggled in her sleep
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Recent Examples of wiggling
After that failed, with the student wiggling out of the coat and hitting, kicking and trying to bite the teacher, the teacher said, the school security guard returned to the van with tube socks.
—
Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Parents and kids will encounter wiggling, stretching, and breathing exercises in each episode, giving your child that consistent routine their bodies need to sleep well, night after night.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Oct. 2025
That led to him extending both hands and wiggling them in a wave-type motion.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The dogs couldn't stand still, wiggling their bodies enthusiastically.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
To train the decoder, each person would imagine a series of different movements (like moving their whole right arm or wiggling their left thumb) while the researchers looked at the data coming from the electrodes and tried to find the most obvious and reliable signal.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2017
Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Parents and kids will encounter wiggling, stretching, and breathing exercises in each episode, giving your child that consistent routine their bodies need to sleep well, night after night.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 29 Oct. 2025
That led to him extending both hands and wiggling them in a wave-type motion.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The dogs couldn't stand still, wiggling their bodies enthusiastically.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
To train the decoder, each person would imagine a series of different movements (like moving their whole right arm or wiggling their left thumb) while the researchers looked at the data coming from the electrodes and tried to find the most obvious and reliable signal.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiggling
Verb
-
His eye is twitching, just a little.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Cole, wearing a khaki jumpsuit, spent much of the hearing sitting quietly and attentively as the parties argued, occasionally adjusting his glasses or fidgeting slightly in his chair.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Applause intermingled with tears as the families of the Camp Mystic campers and counselors looked on, many with small children fidgeting in their Sunday-best attire behind the governor.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
An annual tradition in the legal circle, as well as his UCLA symposium sit-downs, the hourlong speech from the predominantly softspoken Ziffren clearly had a few attendees squirming in their seats near the end.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Hungry birds looking for dozens of squirming caterpillars a day to feed their young can easily find the insects on oak trees.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of tossing your cords into your carry-on and hoping for the best, keep your tech essentials organized with this compact $10 electronics organizer from Fyy.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Montana State players jumped around at midfield, some tossing their helmets, to celebrate the team’s first national championship since 1984.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To that point, Olympia shouldn’t be allowed to play the jury the tear-jerking recording of Frank’s final phone call home as the water rose.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Surprise Lining The most tear-jerking moment, however, was kept secret until the very last minute.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Two prospectors who had once flown over the area confirmed that, seen from above, the rivers looked like a handful of golden worms twisting through the green.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
As much a gripping, twisting whodunnit as a heart-wrenching depiction of the aftermath of loss, grief and warped masculinity.—
Rebecca Hannigan,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But in private, Arthur advises her to exercise a little more discretion in her, um, fiddling.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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The party that fails this test will be remembered — if at all — as the one fiddling while Rome was automated.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Twin Cities,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wiggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiggling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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