as in twitching
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1
as in weaving
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
2
as in squirming
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
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Recent Examples of writhing
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Madonna’s floor-writhing performance of the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards was a cultural landmark — or landmine — and fueled her rise to becoming one of the biggest musical acts of the 20th century.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
An agonized woman, writhing and coughing and gnarled by disease, is found in a field on the edge of town.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Lying on the snow, Vonn could be heard yelling and writhing in pain for multiple minutes before medical personnel could reach her.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
The child passed out in a hallway vomiting and writhing, Lee said, only to be offered Tylenol.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
While Naim and the others watch on in horror, the boys gasp for air and tumble to the floor, writhing as foam bubbles out of their mouths.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
My sense is that the trail leads to nothing revelatory, but at least you’re treated to plenty of exploding bodies, piles of steaming flesh and a writhing A-list cast along the way.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
The string arrangements are lovely, lending every song a measure of uplift and writhing texture.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Madonna’s floor-writhing performance of the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards was a cultural landmark — or landmine — and fueled her rise to becoming one of the biggest musical acts of the 20th century.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
An agonized woman, writhing and coughing and gnarled by disease, is found in a field on the edge of town.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Lying on the snow, Vonn could be heard yelling and writhing in pain for multiple minutes before medical personnel could reach her.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
The child passed out in a hallway vomiting and writhing, Lee said, only to be offered Tylenol.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
While Naim and the others watch on in horror, the boys gasp for air and tumble to the floor, writhing as foam bubbles out of their mouths.
—Natalia Winkelman, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
My sense is that the trail leads to nothing revelatory, but at least you’re treated to plenty of exploding bodies, piles of steaming flesh and a writhing A-list cast along the way.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhing
Noun
-
The disease, which gets worse over time, starts with muscle twitching, slurred speech, or weakness in an arm or leg.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
-
After 10 weeks without food, Muraisi is experiencing involuntary muscular twitching and severe chest pains, according to Prisoners for Palestine, with her doctors warning of possible cardiovascular collapse.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a common arachnid called the orb-weaving spider native to Illinois and other Midwestern states that has the falcon beat.—
Sheryl DeVore,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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After securing her drink, the Euphoria star, sporting her signature bob and an emerald green cardigan, could be seen weaving through the crowd, eventually settling at a table with fashion editor Ella O'Keeffe and friends.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the new iteration that would be Jack and his girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning), whose introduction to the Taylors is one of many scenes played out with squirming discomfort.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
There is another issue, of course, squirming away in the soft flesh of maternity leave.—
Nell Frizzell,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Reaching backward or twisting around other people to grab a bag is awkward and strains muscles.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left twisting in the wind.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Cole, wearing a khaki jumpsuit, spent much of the hearing sitting quietly and attentively as the parties argued, occasionally adjusting his glasses or fidgeting slightly in his chair.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
For those deep in the Apple ecosystem who want headphones that just work without all the fiddling, the Beats Solo 4 make sense with a 25% discount.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The atmosphere at Guard and Grace Guard and his team scanned cities nationwide for the right spot to open the next Guard and Grace, eventually tossing aside Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Nashville and Miami in favor of Charlotte.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
To add more nuts to your diet, try tossing them in fruit bowls, salads, oatmeal, and more.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Even the normally surefire element of a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with its blasts of dissonance pumping up the squirm factor, adds to the heavy-going effect of a movie that seems to go out of its way to be grating.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Writhing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhing. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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