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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wriggle
Piles of wriggling janitor fish filled red barrels along the reservoir — tangible proof that something, at last, was being done.
—
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
And, of course, finding anything wriggling around in your box of cereal or cornmeal is definitely upsetting.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
And, of course, finding anything wriggling around in your box of cereal or cornmeal is definitely upsetting.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
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Unless your companion could use a hand or is traveling with young kids (in the latter case, if this person also happens to be your spouse or partner, really not cool to leave them with the stroller, diaper bag, squirming kids).—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Some circles encourage silence, not as a time to squirm, but as the most generative time for listening.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Wrigley Field West, aka Coors Field, was crawling with Cubs fans on Tuesday night.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
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He was arrested after a two-day manhunt, crawling in a field in a rural part of the state.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The flea larvae, which look like tiny maggots, worm their way into the carpet or mattress, feeding on the flea dirt that their parents left behind, says Benson.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
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OpenAI’s ChatGPT has wormed its way into more and more parts of consumers’ lives, from work to their children’s education, and even mental health and romantic relationships.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The Hormuz crisis will not end when oil markets stop twitching.—
John W.H. Denton AO,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
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The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Monsters of various shapes and sizes creep across the pages of Spark’s novels, plays and short stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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The vote comes as communities around the country debate how to handle increasingly large data centers creeping into populated areas.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The festivities were held at the terrace bar nine floors above Times Square at the Edition Hotel, and anyone sneaking in an illicit cigarette out on the balcony gets treated to a giant Wicked billboard flashing in LEDs.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 June 2026
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During Thanksgiving week 2024, prosecutors say Svetlana Dali snuck onto a Delta flight from New York to France.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Padres starter Griffin Canning tossed five innings against his former team.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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The fan encouraged the outfielder to toss a ball up to the youngster sitting next to him.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Ticket sales for Sunday hovered around 15,000 heading into the weekend, and the surge over the last 24 hours clearly caught stadium staff off guard, given the limited gates opened and lines snaking down Friars Road.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
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The immensity of the body of water, which resembles an 186-mile vericose vein snaking across southern Utah, is difficult to comprehend or convey.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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