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
Relevance
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
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
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
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
-
Irish dance troupes jumped and twisted every few hundred feet while bands armed with drums and bagpipes played plied their trade.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The greatest writers never lose sight of eternity, it has been said, no matter how loud or twisted the events in the foreground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 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
-
Our economies are braided together through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.—
Andy Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In one moment, Robbie wore a look that puts a spotlight on an emerging designer, Dilara Findikoglu, who created a dress braided with synthetic hair, for the film’s London premiere.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Carl squirmed away from some of his earlier remarks minimizing the Holocaust but stood by his views on anti-white persecution and the Great Replacement.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Irish dance troupes jumped and twisted every few hundred feet while bands armed with drums and bagpipes played plied their trade.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Jobs plied his own connections.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The club has also been entwined with rap and food culture in Atlanta.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
And over the years, Barbie has lent its role model status to stars closely entwined with pop culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Helen Mirren, Shania Twain and Viola Davis.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cooper Flagg was heavily guarded in the left corner by Dyson Daniels with the shot clock winding down and tossed the ball to Naji Marshall, but the pass was picked off by Jalen Johnson.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
On Monday, at the conclusion of a round of batting practice, Harper tossed his bat toward an empty pitcher’s mound.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
