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
Example Sentences
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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
-
In this retiree state with much smarts and experience but sorely values-twisted by years of lopsided Republican rule under Govs.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Benge got twisted up and tripped up, and the ball went well over his head and a few feet to his left.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her hair was braided and a short veil could be seen flowing from it in a few photos.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
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
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
-
This low-key threshold perfectly sums up the essence of Kuraya—quietly crafted and entwined in the historic threads of its location.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
-
Yet Cotton plausibly describes a life where human routines are deeply entwined with those of other creatures and the cycle of the Sun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Eyes must have tossed the Pearl Girls dormitory, too, because Daisy’s pocket radio — the one she’s been hiding inside her bunkmate Thalia’s bed frame — is sitting on the desk.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
But when Story stepped to the plate — after Willson Contreras launched a 449-foot home run, admired his work and then tossed his bat toward the on-deck circle, and after Wilyer Abreu followed with a 396-foot blast of his own — Valdez threw, of all things, a four-seam fastball.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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