as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
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as in squirming
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of squirm
Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2024
Talking About Money With Your Partner as a Single Parent
Discussing finances can make people squirm.
—Sarah Bregel, Parents, 20 Sep. 2024
Related article Newly discovered Amazon fish species is named after ‘The Lord of the Rings’ villain for its odd pattern
To escape a predator’s gut, an eel would insert its tail into the esophagus and then squirm backward.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
Fallon then joined Dratch in dance, with the host also squirming on the floor and bunny-hopping as the Roots played.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for squirm 
Verb
In here, children squirm over parents’ laps as old men sip strong tea to punctuate intense exchanges.
—Kurt Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2024
Talking About Money With Your Partner as a Single Parent
Discussing finances can make people squirm.
—Sarah Bregel, Parents, 20 Sep. 2024
Related article Newly discovered Amazon fish species is named after ‘The Lord of the Rings’ villain for its odd pattern
To escape a predator’s gut, an eel would insert its tail into the esophagus and then squirm backward.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
Fallon then joined Dratch in dance, with the host also squirming on the floor and bunny-hopping as the Roots played.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
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Movements should be purposeful and calm, avoiding fidgeting, which can project anxiety or lack of control.Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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Hands that had never fidgeted were suddenly restless, moving back and forth.Sage Mehta, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Fans especially loved when Samantha would wrinkle her nose and twitch, activating her magic.Angela Andaloro, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
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Signs that your pup is in their REM phase of sleep include paw twitching, change in breathing, eye flickering, whimpering, barking, body twitching, and tail swishing.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The decision reversed a lower court that said tossing those ballots interfered with the right to vote.Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
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Nacua and Dodson scuffled after the whistle and the otherwise mild-mannered receiver was tossed for taking a swing.Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Your limbs, or even your entire upper body, may jerk or thrash in the process.Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
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Yanking a zipper shut is more likely to break teeth or jerk the slider off the track.Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
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On the screen, the app will show a digital representation of the keys and the ghostly outline of your hands wiggling above them.Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 8 Oct. 2024
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Give the culprit a small spritz, let sit for a second, and then carefully wiggle the zipper back and forth while pulling up or down as needed.Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Such is always the case with this sort of self-interested fiddling.Eric Gordy, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2018
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Saturday Fiddle Contest: 11 a.m. at Alyeska Pipeline Colony Stage Grab your fiddle and play a tune or just check out some of the state’s best sawing on their instruments in a number of categories, including youth, teen, open and twin fiddling.Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2023
Verb
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Then, Rocky’s girlfriend Adrian, who has just entered the arena to see Rocky at his worst, writhing in pain on the canvas.Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 5 Nov. 2024
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Toward the end of the play, the once-effervescent Delia writhes in excruciating pain after a bone marrow transplant.Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Even before stepping into the White House again, Trump’s plans have the Federal Reserve trembling.Peter Green, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
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At a rally in North Carolina last week, Trump mentioned Obama getting back on the trail and made his voice tremble in fake terror before dismissing him.Alex Thompson, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near squirm
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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