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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wriggle
In the soil in his palm, an earthworm wriggled.
—
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Stone is remarkable; emotionally wriggling like a bug pinned to a wall, trying different tactics with this psycho.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Two actors are wriggling across the stage on their bellies.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025
The fox looked at the wriggling thing, uncertain which side was speaking.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Stone is remarkable; emotionally wriggling like a bug pinned to a wall, trying different tactics with this psycho.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Two actors are wriggling across the stage on their bellies.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025
The fox looked at the wriggling thing, uncertain which side was speaking.
—Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
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Distracting from the void at its core are the extremely gory kills, splashed with pixelized blood and guts that are indeed successful in making an audience squirm.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
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In the new iteration that would be Jack and his girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning), whose introduction to the Taylors is one of many scenes played out with squirming discomfort.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the Bay Area slowly — some might say glacially — crawls into spring, there’s nothing better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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To want to crawl out of your own body because your brain betrayed you?—
Peter White,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum initially believed that the bug, which eluded detection and caused countless medical issues, wormed its way into her system while filming Bravo's The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in early 2023.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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Her strange presence in Georgia — where Gabbard reportedly arranged for FBI agents to make a post-raid call to the president — looks like nothing more than a way to worm her way back into his good graces.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The film uses music, the clippity-clop of hooves and twitching furry ears for her three donkeys — Palaye, Ruperto, Palomo — to surf critical acclaim on the film festival circuit to the upcoming Academy Awards.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Baby Briana’s arms twitched and legs flopped against cold concrete.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Martha felt a creeping boredom in the long hours when nothing at all happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
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Now, incidents like these occur far too frequently for some, who believe vagrancy and crime from surrounding neighborhoods is beginning to creep into Wedgwood Square.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The matchup had the feel of a first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament with both teams trying to make late runs to sneak into March Madness.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Feb. 2026
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These irresistible, creamy purée treats are perfect for picky eaters, bonding moments and sneaking in hydration—cats can’t get enough of them.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On 26 total pitches against six batters, Birdsong tossed 12 balls and left after giving up a grand slam to former Granada High star Miles Mastroubuoni, a 381-foot blast to right-center.—
Haley Smilow,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
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Don’t give up and toss your plant into the compost pile.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In southwest Russia, where the border with eastern Ukraine snakes down to the Sea of Azov, lies the city of Rostov-on-Don, which serves as the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District.—
Sophie Spiegelberger,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
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Lines have snaked outside of Christy’s Tasty Queen all week, full of people hoping to get their hands on a few final pork tenderloin sandwiches.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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