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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 The technology was largely depicted as a portal to the future, a tonic for the ailing Los Angeles production sector, and a way to finally wriggle free from the bonds of antiquated studio protocols. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026 The town is home to the world's largest snake pits, where tens of thousands of non-venomous red-sided garter snakes emerge each spring to wriggle over one another. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • The animal eventually crawled under a dock.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
    Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • As our conversation extends into the hour mark, her hood creeps upward along the side of her face most visible to those around us.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026
  • For my microgeneration, the disillusionment crept in with the savage failure of the Iraq War.
    Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Argentina won the last World Cup after losing its opener to lowly Saudi Arabia, Portugal won Euro 2016 after sneaking into the knockouts following three draws in the group stage and Spain won the 2010 World Cup after losing its opening match to Switzerland.
    Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Steer snuck a slow roller under the glove of the second baseman Chisholm, and as Steer surged to second, José Caballero — who moved from left field to center field an inning earlier — came up throwing.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • In both cases, tornadoes about 200 yards wide traveled roughly 2 miles, toppling trees, tossing lawn furniture and knocking down power lines.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.
    Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Note a new parade route this year, starting at the corner of 12th Avenue and North 3rd Street and snaking down 5th Avenue toward South 8th Street.
    Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 24 June 2026
  • Today, the two bands have announced the Bitch Cabal Tour, a co-headlining run snaking its way across the American Midwest and South this fall.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on wriggle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster