wriggles

Definition of wrigglesnext
present tense third-person singular of wriggle
1
2
as in crawls
to move slowly with the body close to the ground a worm slowly wriggled across the sidewalk

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in worms
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 wriggles Tuesday, March 3, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky. John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026 That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggles
Verb
  • When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.
    Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.
    Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • While the two men struggle with the jammed backdoor, Weisz’s character tosses them both a look before rushing toward the flames to grab her unfinished manuscript, written on legal pads, and dashing out of the cabin just in time.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Gyllenhaal lovingly crafts this scarred, stapled and eccentric Bonnie and Clyde duo then tosses them into a landscape of curiosities that matches their weird.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The same game of legislative chicken now starts anew as the calendar creeps toward April.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
  • This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.
    Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • When investigative journalist infiltrates the group, the noose around the sect begins to tighten.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver.
    Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To accommodate the mass of passengers, the line snakes through baggage claim and around the terminal.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.
    Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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