squiggle

1 of 2

verb

squig·​gle ˈskwi-gəl How to pronounce squiggle (audio)
squiggled; squiggling ˈskwi-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce squiggle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: squirm, wriggle
squiggling in her seat
2
: to write or paint hastily : scribble

transitive verb

1
2
: to form or cause to form in squiggles

squiggle

2 of 2

noun

: a short wavy twist or line : curlicue
especially : an illegible scrawl
squiggly adjective

Examples of squiggle in a Sentence

Verb a pediatrician's waiting room full of squiggling toddlers there are some illegible notes squiggled in the margins of the old book Noun His handwriting looks like a bunch of squiggles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Vienna’s Danube, Munich’s Isar, and many rivers squiggling across the U.K. and France all have a long history of hosting swimmers. Jessica Leigh Hester, The Atlantic, 31 July 2024 Grooves in the hillside squiggle down toward a pasture and bike path at its base. Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024
Noun
Avoid Squiggle and Scallop Overload There’s nothing wrong with a touch of squiggle when the time calls for it—but according to Gigs, there's such thing as too much of this whimsical look. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, broad squiggles in blue, orange, and yellow traverse the composition, lending a sense of motion to the scene; a cool green field of a woven check pattern grounds the nebulous scene in geometric regularity. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for squiggle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squiggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

blend of squirm and wriggle

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1816, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squiggle was circa 1816

Dictionary Entries Near squiggle

Cite this Entry

“Squiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squiggle. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

squiggle

noun
squig·​gle
ˈskwig-əl
: a short wavy twist or line : curlicue

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