as in writhing
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in squirming
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in infiltrating
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
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Recent Examples of wriggling
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Reaching out hands to help the suffering, Didi and Gogo go down themselves—all mankind a wriggling heap.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
The predator can breathe air, survive out of water and walk (more of a wriggling, snake-like motion) on land for at least four days.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
9 June 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
Authorities on Tuesday reportedly apprehended the Michigan woman who went viral after wriggling her way through a police cruiser window while still handcuffed in a daring getaway, according to local outlets.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
Barnard attended the ceremony with Soprano, Lola’s female stand-in and a convincing lookalike, who accepted the collar with considerable enthusiasm and even more considerable wriggling.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
For his part, Sherman, a long-time champion of wriggling remedies, cheered the clearance as a step forward for MDT generally.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Reaching out hands to help the suffering, Didi and Gogo go down themselves—all mankind a wriggling heap.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
The predator can breathe air, survive out of water and walk (more of a wriggling, snake-like motion) on land for at least four days.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
9 June 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
Authorities on Tuesday reportedly apprehended the Michigan woman who went viral after wriggling her way through a police cruiser window while still handcuffed in a daring getaway, according to local outlets.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggling
Noun
-
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.
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).
-
The player who was hit by the cart immediately grabbed his thigh and knee area while squirming in pain on the ground.
Verb
-
Add a Physical Barrier Since ticks prefer to hide in grass and other plants and brush, adding a non-plant barrier like wood chips or gravel can stop ticks from ever crawling into your yard.
-
The video shows an officer tumbling on the ground, crawling in front of a parked car for cover and ultimately becoming fully prone.
Verb
-
Towle, 26, is currently in between stages of a clinical trial involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy.
-
Lanzani plays Rubio, an army officer tasked with infiltrating the Santa Cruz Church where the relatives of the missing have begun organizing.
Noun
-
Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.
-
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.
Verb
-
In addition to having lofty themes, this is also a fairly rousing adventure with enough visual panache to keep any kid from fidgeting in his seat.
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Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.
Verb
-
Best Prime Day Matching Sets for Summer Summer temperatures are already creeping in, serving as a friendly reminder that pants aren’t always a fit for June.
-
Humidity starts creeping back up on Thursday.
Verb
-
His one rule for guests is to chase whatever task is nagging at them, but to resist sneaking in actual work.
-
As for oats, consider sneaking in some extra protein to round out their nutritional profile.
Cite this Entry
“Wriggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggling. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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