WRITHED Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

writhed

verb

past tense of writhe

as in twisted

to cause to twine about one another tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in twitched

to make jerky or restless movements writhing in pain from his injuries

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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 writhed Legend writhed in pain on the ground as Ruca took a second on her back to gather herself. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 While family members and peers in Yuba City waited for more information, Burris writhed deeper into the bus, and responders in Martinez formulated a plan to rescue the people left inside. — Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhed

Verb

The road was slick after showers and slid out and twisted like a long black tongue.

— Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Because there’s not even a morsel of darkness in Verity’s star persona, neither Lowen nor Jeremy know how twisted the real woman is.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of twisted

Verb

The heel of the shoe and its tongue tag also feature co-branding with Nigo and j-hope’s names on them and, instead of standard cotton laces, the sneakers have braided, multicolor ropes that pick up on the overall color scheme.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2026
While both goddess braids and boho braids are knotless styles with loose human or synthetic curls braided into some or all of the plaits, the amount of loose hair and where it’s placed is usually what’s up for debate.

— Eden Stuart, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of braided

Verb

Laura squirmed under her mother’s gaze, willed the light to turn green.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 May 2026

Definition of squirmed

Verb

Much as Las Vegas casinos plied high rollers with gourmet meals and lavish entertainment, sports gaming apps are now rewarding VIP bettors with luxury suite access, autographed jerseys and unique fan experiences.

— Jake Rosenwasser, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
The partnership between two outsiders clawing their way in, joined by an equally canny journalist played by Claire Foy, comes to shape Fleet Street, the London thoroughfare where scribblers plied their trade, in Lamb’s and Murdoch’s images.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of plied

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

Definition of fidgeted

Verb

Picasso’s Le Baiser (1969) shows two lovers entwined in a kiss and is estimated at $40 million.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Leo and the Gosses have been living amicably at arm’s length for 14 years, though their lives are about to become closely entwined, with disastrous results.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of entwined

Verb

Traditional American business values like social responsibility, community involvement, and customer service — y’know, the things companies used to at least pretend to care about — have been tossed aside.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
The audience cheered and a couple of crowd members tossed underwear onto the stage.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of tossed

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“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of writhed

verb

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