1
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wriggle
Authorities on Tuesday reportedly apprehended the Michigan woman who went viral after wriggling her way through a police cruiser window while still handcuffed in a daring getaway, according to local outlets.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Venezuelan fans — who made the long trip to loanDepot Park for the 2026 World Baseball Classic — wriggled with every pitch.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Venezuelan fans — who made the long trip to loanDepot Park for the 2026 World Baseball Classic — wriggled with every pitch.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
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Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
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For moist at least, a long history as a word associated with bodily discharge coupled with its more recent use as a sexualized word positioned it as one that makes young modern women squirm more than men.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance video from one convenience store that was burglarized shows a man in a hoodie crawling in through a hole in the bottom of the front door, climbing over the front counter and opening the cash register.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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Staff started out by wearing bear masks and animal furs, then crawling into the enclosure to spoon-feed the cubs formula.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The best success comes using it in jungle-thick cover, worming a minnow down between uncooperative branches.—
John Phillips,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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In terms of the complex set design — which looks like a facsimile of the same passage over and over but with subtle differences worming their way in — Kawamura and his team built two identical corridors for cinematographer Keisuke Imamura to follow the actors through, third- and first-person-style.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My jaw twitched uncontrollably.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Inflation rates are creeping above average wage increases, and could stay there until the situation in Iran is resolved.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Still, dozens of drivers crept around the lot, hoping to pounce if someone pulled out.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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That afternoon, Djena sneaked out of the house to meet Shams at the neighborhood Starbucks.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The Brewers tied it in the fourth when Luis Rengifo's grounder to third sneaked under Royce Lewis' glove and allowed Brice Turang to score.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The victim described, matter-of-factly, how her trafficker had cut up jalapeños and tossed them into a toilet before banging her head against the inside of the bowl and dunking it into the water.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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And while tossing and turning is common, some disturbances are more unsettling.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Louisiana map scraps snaking district Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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