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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of writhed
Lesnar smiled as Femi writhed in pain from the multiple finishing moves.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 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
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 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 New York Times on Thursday reported an ex-girlfriend's allegations that Platner repeatedly grabbed her by the shoulders during arguments and once twisted her arm behind her back and locked her in a room.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
And how Toisanese traditions, like sweet and sour sauce, undoubtedly informed the dishes that twisted, turned and codified into the Chinese American culinary canon.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Many a club’s board would have twitched in the face of the bare data, but the chain of command above Arteta stayed the course, and the FOMO is so high that tickets for Palace away this weekend are going for £45,000 ($60,000) on resale sites.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
My jaw twitched uncontrollably.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The girls loved playing with Barbies and getting bright colors braided into their hair.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
-
Actor Sam Reid is laced into a pair of skintight black pants, his shoulder-length blond hair braided into Britney-style pigtails and his face and torso covered in iridescent glitter.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
His Japanese guest, usually a paragon of diplomatic cool, visibly squirmed.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Levenson makes clear, these three arguments have been plied for as long as vaccines have.—
Diana Gitig,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2026
-
Davis plied his trade in Reno, Nevada, at a time when the American West was developing into a manufacturing hub at breakneck speed.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 May 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
-
And the synergy of it all surely will be entwined with what countless people will remember about their World Cup experience in Kansas City — and something the Longs aim to make generational.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
-
Zidane and Ronaldo, whose fortunes had been entwined in such contrasting ways back in the 1998 World Cup final, met again.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Pacheco’s absence hurt Covina (16-13-1), which threw five wild pitches in the dirt after the catcher was tossed.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
Young also tossed a deep ball to him in 11-on-11 work early in practice, but that was broken up by cornerback Jaycee Horn.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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