as in twitching
to make jerky or restless movements
the baby wiggled in her sleep
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Recent Examples of wiggling
Laughing and wiggling her body, Fiona begins to roll over onto her stomach, ending up closer to Huckleberry.
—
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
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, 14 Nov. 2025
Pressurizing the actuator gets you one single actuation, but to make the actuator wiggle (wiggling being an absolutely necessary skill for any robot), the gas has to be cyclically released.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 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
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
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, 14 Nov. 2025
Pressurizing the actuator gets you one single actuation, but to make the actuator wiggle (wiggling being an absolutely necessary skill for any robot), the gas has to be cyclically released.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 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
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
-
Silver Flatware Authentic silver flatware is worth holding onto or reselling, not tossing into the donation bin.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Fry, tossing occasionally, until any liquid released in the frying process disappears and mushrooms are nicely browned.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Sad to see Yang leave the comedy sketch series, viewers focused on saying their goodbyes rather than the tear-jerking sketch.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
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For a harder version, try shoulder taps, which involve tapping alternate shoulders in the plank position without twisting.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Continuing to criticize him unfairly by twisting facts just showcases your personal bias against him.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 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
-
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 16 Jan. 2026.
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