1
as in weaves
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 squirms
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 writhes
Reid writhes in front of Zaman, sticking out his tongue in one take, running his hand down his body in another, all while a gigantic technocrane zooms overhead.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
The truth risks bringing down the whole edifice, which is why the system writhes to hide who takes decisions large and small.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Dec. 2025
So says the priest (Ben Hall) to Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who writhes in a dark room, foaming at the mouth before a gathering of fellow Carmelite nuns.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
The truth risks bringing down the whole edifice, which is why the system writhes to hide who takes decisions large and small.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Dec. 2025
So says the priest (Ben Hall) to Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who writhes in a dark room, foaming at the mouth before a gathering of fellow Carmelite nuns.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhes
Verb
-
Father Joseph Balikuddembe, a young priest, weaves down the aisle for communion, depositing wafers on the nuns' lips.
-
Created in collaboration with Misfit House founder Monica Stewart and Sun House Children’s clothing designer Hollis McFadden, Tassel House Textiles weaves together nature motifs and historical palettes for a collection that adds instant patina.
Verb
-
When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, other stylists still prefer the traditional Senegalese twists method of using braiding hair to install two-strand twists that combine your natural hair.
-
But his candidate statement twists scripture to cast Jewish people as treacherous and contains antisemitic tropes, a rabbi with the conservative synagogue Mosaic Law Congregation told The Bee.
Verb
-
The unanimous appeals court decision tosses a February district court ruling that ordered the National Parks Service (NPS) to restore the panels that were removed from the site.
-
His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.
Verb
-
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.
-
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.
Verb
-
The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
-
Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.
Cite this Entry
“Writhes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhes. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
