1
as in to weave
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of writhe
While Naim and the others watch on in horror, the boys gasp for air and tumble to the floor, writhing as foam bubbles out of their mouths.
—
Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
After stuffing the shot, which caromed to the Razorbacks' Nick Pringle, James fell to the floor writhing in pain and grasping at his back.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
My sense is that the trail leads to nothing revelatory, but at least you’re treated to plenty of exploding bodies, piles of steaming flesh and a writhing A-list cast along the way.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
The austerity gives her plenty of room to writhe, mug, and moan between occasional shots of an inflatable Martian and a tropical-looking Tiffany lamp.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
After stuffing the shot, which caromed to the Razorbacks' Nick Pringle, James fell to the floor writhing in pain and grasping at his back.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
My sense is that the trail leads to nothing revelatory, but at least you’re treated to plenty of exploding bodies, piles of steaming flesh and a writhing A-list cast along the way.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
The austerity gives her plenty of room to writhe, mug, and moan between occasional shots of an inflatable Martian and a tropical-looking Tiffany lamp.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
Verb
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And the desk chairs weave a story of Nevis, adorned with nods to its lush flora and playful green vervet monkeys, the iconic ambassadors of the island.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Juana Rodriguez was bound for hours as her 3-year old son cried and squirmed, according to the ACLU lawsuit that was filed on behalf of three Latino families.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The quarterly ritual when companies publicly measure themselves up against analyst estimates, squirm through conference calls, and brace for big after-hours stock moves.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Van Der Beek, twisting his remarkable life into a piece of comedy, pulled the same kind of trick.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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The haters will come out in force after your Super Bowl performance — misrepresenting your intentions, twisting your words and actions to suit their agenda.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Baby Briana’s arms twitched and legs flopped against cold concrete.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
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Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To show their enduring affection, mated pairs of vultures synchronize their flight patterns, touch their beaks together in what looks like a kiss and entwine their long necks.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
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The shift to low-overhead shows on digital platforms also raises concerns for Hollywood unions, which are entwined in the TV talk show system but largely do not have a presence on major podcast platforms.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s game is also being advertised an autism awareness night, offering earplugs, fidget toys and a sensory break area for fans who plan to attend.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
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Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Once made of glass and cherished by parade spectators who were lucky enough to catch them, today cheap plastic beaded necklaces from overseas are tossed from floats by the handful.—
TRAVIS LOLLER,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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The military stomp of the score is so tied up in the conception of Superman as an ultra-powerful Eagle Scout that the theme had to be tossed entirely when directors wanted to add a few layers of grime onto the character in the 2010s.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seconds later, Exum, who was driving with his Glock pistol in his right hand, appeared to jerk the steering wheel to the left, in the direction of Martínez’s vehicle alongside them.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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