wriggles

verb

present tense third-person singular of wriggle
1
as in squirms
to make jerky or restless movements a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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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 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
  1. squirms
  2. crawls
  3. worms
  4. tosses
  5. creeps
  6. infiltrates
  7. fidgets
  8. snakes
Verb
  • The 420 Sport jostles and squirms on these surfaces at low speeds, but the payoff is unfiltered, no-nonsense feedback.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of squirms
Verb
  • Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Markets do not hold still for a year and a half while your deal crawls through due diligence.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of crawls
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
Definition of worms
Verb
  • Philip Marlowe as Chandler’s private eye is a smooth talking, whiskey-drinking character who tosses suggestive suggestions and 38 revolvers around with equal aplomb.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • The grandfather is seen running around a few trees, but the bison soon catches up and tosses the helpless visitor eight feet in the air.
    — Suzanne Yeo, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of tosses
Verb
  • The polarizing quarterback will start Cleveland's exhibition opener at Chicago on Saturday — his first game action since 2024 — and Shedeur Sanders will play in the second half as the Browns' QB competition creeps toward a conclusion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Moura can only laugh at the absurd timing, though a hint of understandable frustration still creeps into his recollection.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of creeps
Verb
  • When an outsider infiltrates the family, buried tensions surface and blood ties are severed.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 24 July 2026
  • Yet up here hardly a sound infiltrates the noble trees that surround the estate.
    — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of infiltrates
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
Definition of fidgets
Verb
  • The new district snakes up through Kansas City’s urban core, in an attempt to create a district more favorable for Republicans in the 5th District.
    — Jack Harvel July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • The story of McCarthy’s life was written on this winding street that snakes through a small, working-class corner of Pittsburgh where the Monongahela River bends.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of snakes

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of wriggles for Spanish Speakers

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