wriggle

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 But the kitten, wearing a harness meant for a larger cat, quickly wriggled free. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 Bissouma is technically gifted, capable of receiving the ball under pressure and wriggling in between opposition players. Mark Carey, New York Times, 19 May 2025 The high water allowed several smaller alligators to slip away by wriggling under a fence. Jeremy Drouin, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025 One is a mass of tiny, twisting tendrils wriggling through one of the city's mainline. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
  • But Carney squirmed a bit as Trump riffed on his contentious plan for the U.S. to gobble up Canada.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
  • The cardinals are sworn to secrecy, though a few details have inevitably squirmed outside through the chapel walls over the years.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Zenbook crawled to the finish line in every test.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 29 May 2025
  • The men allegedly crawled out of the hole to a loading dock, scaled an exterior concrete wall of the jail complex and darted across a freeway to freedom.
    Kati Weis, CBS News, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Some shower caps use materials that can allow a certain amount of water to worm its way through, which entirely defeats the purpose of wearing the cap in the first place.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
  • The pair share a complicated relationship from the early episodes of Season 1, where Sauron, disguised as a helpless traveler, wormed his way into her heart and good graces.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • An input lag of 4.6 milliseconds in the TV's dedicated Game mode is speedy enough for twitch reflexes, and the panel refreshes at 120Hz and supports variable refresh rates.
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
  • The sight of his twitching arm, middle finger raised, is a fun touch to an otherwise-underwhelming send-off.
    Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • For years, the Birch Glacier has been creeping down the mountainside, pressured by shifting debris near the summit.
    Dave Graham, Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2025
  • Despite this, his ownership didn’t creep over the 10 per cent mark until the period around Newcastle’s Double Gameweek 32, with his brace against Leicester City in Gameweek 31 a particular highlight for my season, providing my biggest rank jump of the run-in.
    Holly Shand, New York Times, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • But eventually, the neighbor realized Mystery had been sneaking out against his wishes, as Mystery is an indoor cat only.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • The Pacers, meanwhile, have solidified themselves as title contenders after sneaking their way into the conference finals last year.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Another tossed a traffic cone into the vehicle’s windshield, damaging it.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 5 June 2025
  • Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bookbag.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • The time-lapse video shows a plasmoid snaking across the sun at almost 62 miles (100 kilometers) per second.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 29 May 2025
  • It’s carved from a snaking mulberry branch and adorned with microchips, with a C.P.U. fan and a small desk clock embedded in the smoothly polished wood near its head.
    Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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