1
as in twisted
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 twitched
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of writhed
His fingers splayed and writhed like a terrible mandible.
—
Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Doncic writhed below the basket, spending a stoppage of 2-plus minutes with a Lakers trainer kneeling beside him.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
As a teller activated an alarm and called 911 from under her station desk, Brown writhed on the carpet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Skattebo writhed in pain as the training staff came out to attend to him.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024.
—Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025
Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
In one clearing a snake writhed in gray mud.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Doncic writhed below the basket, spending a stoppage of 2-plus minutes with a Lakers trainer kneeling beside him.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
As a teller activated an alarm and called 911 from under her station desk, Brown writhed on the carpet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Skattebo writhed in pain as the training staff came out to attend to him.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024.
—Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025
Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
In one clearing a snake writhed in gray mud.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhed
Verb
-
No spoilers, but things get twisted in this one in ways that are almost impossible to predict.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
17 Apr. 2026
-
On 72 minutes, Mac Allister had his blood twisted by Ousmane Dembele at the other end after a typically ruthless PSG counter.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Often composed of three to five plants braided together to form one trunk, the money tree can grow up to 2 feet per year!—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Aftermath and flashback are braided together, too, as if in perpetual PTSD.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His Japanese guest, usually a paragon of diplomatic cool, visibly squirmed.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Substitute Nikolas Nartey completed the scoring in stoppage time with another deflected shot that squirmed in off the far post.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kids — and even adults — plied me with questions about what happened during those three long days of captivity.—
Midsi Sanchez,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The popular longtime minor-league journeyman plied his trade for the Saints last season.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Reid added that the book will also trace the realities of a relationship entwined with work.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
And from the moment man first landed on the moon, Major League Baseball and space exploration have been entwined.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tim Hil, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick and David Bednar all tossed scoreless innings without breaking a sweat ultimately leading to their stunning comeback win.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
During the burglary, the suspects allegedly grabbed the housekeeper's phone and tossed it in the ocean, according to CBS Boston.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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