wriggle

Definition of wrigglenext
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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2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground a worm slowly wriggled across the sidewalk

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3
as in to worm
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way within a month of his arrival, this social upstart had wriggled himself into the family's good graces

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wriggle Tuesday, March 3, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky. John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026 An Italy lineout overthrow was claimed by Gailleton, who charged into the Italy 22 and fed Ramos to wriggle over in the left corner. ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026 This ethic has been especially true in the renowned Sports section, which was killed in a Zoom announcement notable for its belly-wriggling cowardice and self-owning incompetence. Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026 In the soil in his palm, an earthworm wriggled. Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 26 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
  • Did the answers — and unknowns — make people hesitate and squirm?
    Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 9 Mar. 2026
  • There will be no squirming tonight.
    Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
  • On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second.
    Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Behind them a young man with a paint-flecked beard followed the designer about the set, twitching the hem of the velvet curtains hung at the window and rearranging the ornaments on the mantelpiece.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.
    Freida Frisaro, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • There has been the odd mistake as fatigue has crept in, but amid the angst and difficulties of Newcastle’s other, expensive summer signings, the 24-year-old Germany international has settled quickly.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Rothrock made a couple touches and, as goalkeeper Daniel crept off his line, slipped a shot past defender Reid Roberts and inside the near post.
    Mercury News, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • My brother Mike knew a maintenance engineer who snuck me in to Seals & Crofts’ studio.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Nine Iranian ships traveled through the strait by turning off transponders that reveal locations, sneaking by undetected.
    Cecilia Vega, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Griffin Jax tossed a perfect sixth before David Bednar escaped a seventh-inning jam with two on and one out by striking out Tatis and Marte.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Residents in houses gathered on rooftops and hung out of windows, with one girl with her leg outside tossing beers down from the second story to her friends on the porch.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Outside the back door sat a large white equipment box with a thick black cable that snaked into the building.
    Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
  • The family-friendly party takes over the city’s historic district with a march featuring bands, troops, floats and Alee Shriner Clubs snaking along the route.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 16 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

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