1
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 wriggle
And then in the 90th minute, Alvarez beautifully wriggled past keeper Matej Kovar to score a memorable winner.
—
Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The ink shifted and wriggled again, forming new words from the old: NO OBSERVERS.
—EW.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Sven Botman’s surprise return after nearly 10 months out with an ACL knee injury brought an early concession when Dominic Solanke wriggled around him, but in the circumstances, the Dutchman was excellent, playing on until cramp gripped him in the final minutes.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Spearing a snapper or a lobster takes considerable skill and patience, but with the sea turtles, reef sharks, and spotted eagle rays wriggling around down there, the appealing scenery is worth the trek.
—Alex Schechter, AFAR Media, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wriggle 
Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The ink shifted and wriggled again, forming new words from the old: NO OBSERVERS.
—EW.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Sven Botman’s surprise return after nearly 10 months out with an ACL knee injury brought an early concession when Dominic Solanke wriggled around him, but in the circumstances, the Dutchman was excellent, playing on until cramp gripped him in the final minutes.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Spearing a snapper or a lobster takes considerable skill and patience, but with the sea turtles, reef sharks, and spotted eagle rays wriggling around down there, the appealing scenery is worth the trek.
—Alex Schechter, AFAR Media, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wriggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
-
Additionally, some men have squirmed even hearing about the concept of the film.—
William Earl,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2025
-
My kids squirm through an application of the typical goop styles, but those last much, much longer than spray-on brands.—
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan,
Outside Online,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The victim suffered serious injuries but managed to crawl out of the woods and get help from a passerby, according to court records.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
-
If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
Daniella Segura,
Sacramento Bee,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In recent years, inclusion mandates and training have wormed their way into virtually every facet of American life, including (but certainly not limited to) Hollywood, corporations and academia, just to name a few of the most prominent targets.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2025
-
While all this is going on, Chloe begins secretly hanging out and hooking up with Tyler's friend Ryan (West Mulholland), a sinister jock who worms his way into her good graces as a shoulder to cry on.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
When a fish swims by, the snake twitches its neck, a movement so rapid that it can only be captured on high-speed film.—
Ryley Graham,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 Jan. 2025
-
In other words, the version of the Democratic Party that got killed in 2024 is still twitching.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The Tocqueville paradox nicely captures the idea of concept creep and explains how people today can be outraged at (historically speaking) minor social injustices, despite being surrounded by (historically speaking) unprecedented equality.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Unfortunately, that’s what’s creeping into our city under current leadership.—
Timothy “Chaz” Stevens,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The couple sneaked away for a double date dinner with Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Patrick Mahomes, and his wife, Brittany, at the French restaurant Lilette in New Orleans Friday.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
8 Feb. 2025
-
This one stinks to high heaven for sneaking anger, self-pity, and jealousy under the guise of being a pseudo-compliment.—
John Bowe, Contributor,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The water on one side of the beach and the Pacific Coast Highway on the other help impede fire spread, but strong gusts—like last month’s infamous Santa Ana winds—can still toss embers and flaming debris across the highway.—
Monica Hunter-Hart,
Forbes,
16 Feb. 2025
-
The day before the crash that took his life, BB tossed three touchdowns in a 64-6 rout of Custer County.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Long-range attacks have been a feature of the nearly three-year war, where on the front line snaking about 600 miles from northeast to southern Ukraine, the armies have been engaged in a war of attrition.—
Hanna Arhirova and Yehor Konovalov,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Broadley’s African house snakes live in a variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, from elevations of about 2,400 to 9,800 feet, the study said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near wriggle
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share