wriggles

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
  • At sunset, the city starts glowing around you while traffic crawls silently below.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 May 2026
  • Critics on the Croisette are starting to resemble that classic comic-strip panel in which an explorer crawls desperately across the sand toward an oasis that’s only a mirage.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 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
  • The unanimous appeals court decision tosses a February district court ruling that ordered the National Parks Service (NPS) to restore the panels that were removed from the site.
    Deena Zaru, ABC News, 18 June 2026
  • His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • The look of elation that creeps over his face is a perfect encapsulation of everything that long-suffering Knicks fans were feeling when the ad aired.
    Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 16 June 2026
  • Humidity creeps back into the picture on Sunday with highs in the low 90s, increasing clouds and brisk southwest winds ahead of a strong cold front.
    Tammie Souza, CBS News, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Without it, walls can have a knock-on effect that infiltrates the rest of your room.
    Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
  • Nessa infiltrates Maryam’s life as her nurse, aiming to find the truth.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 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
  • When a Knicks game lets out at the Garden or concertgoers from the Meadowlands pour out of Penn Station, crowds pack the Tick Tock’s orange-and-green banquettes and the line snakes out the door.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • The River Caqueta snakes nearly 1,800 miles into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.

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