1
as in to weave
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 to squirm
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 writhe
Only two bodies remain still: Ferran’s, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale — two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
And inmates have been seen to writhe and struggle when the latest method, nitrogen gas, is used to suffocate them as it is pushed through a mask.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025
Miller skated off the ice and writhed in pain on the bench.
—Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
The Provincetown Princess was cutting through a plankton path: a wide swath of ocean where fish were feeding, thousands of fish, even millions of fish, writhing silvery bodies in the dark water, savagely frenzied activity of a kind that Cassidy had never seen before.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
And inmates have been seen to writhe and struggle when the latest method, nitrogen gas, is used to suffocate them as it is pushed through a mask.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025
Miller skated off the ice and writhed in pain on the bench.
—Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 2025
The Provincetown Princess was cutting through a plankton path: a wide swath of ocean where fish were feeding, thousands of fish, even millions of fish, writhing silvery bodies in the dark water, savagely frenzied activity of a kind that Cassidy had never seen before.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
Verb
-
Sherrod opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown, weaving through the defense before breaking into the open backfield.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Grid fleece weaves in about 5 percent elastane (aka Spandex) in a grid-like pattern (hence the name).—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Joseph Quinn, the terrific British actor from A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2 (and our next Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps), spends the bulk of this picture squirming in torment, emitting ear-splitting noises from deep within the pits of hell.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The sixth episode of The White Lotus Season 3 has critics stunned—and in some cases, squirming—after a grim hour that pushed creator Mike White's pitch-black satire to new depths.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Then, instead of squeezing the packaging like a tube of toothpaste, twist the end that’s still sealed to gently push the meat out.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, Glass twisted in the driver’s seat and thrust the knife toward an officer standing next to the shattered window behind him, prompting Buen to shoot Glass five times.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That ratio is naturally reversed here, though the director drops in a few snippets of the actual team near the beginning and the end, including a grainy, chilling shot of the real Lemons twitching near the ocean floor.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Kirk says that when a cat experiences changes in air pressure, which can also happen while riding in a car, their ears may move or twitch in response.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In an age where algorithms entwine with everyday decisions, leaders are beginning to face a stark imperative.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
This is my mother’s strength and sorrow, entwined yet again.—
Shyla Watson,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Then came Brian Harman, fidgeting over each practice swing.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Minimize distracting habits like fidgeting, checking your watch, or tapping your fingers.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Pair them with your favorite bra top at the gym, and then toss on a slouchy tee or sweater after hours.—
Korin Miller,
Glamour,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Galecki notes that the game is free, which prompts Cuoco to also toss her credit cards out the window.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
-
How to jerk off Jerking off, also known as jacking off, is another technique that can be helpful in your arsenal of self-pleasure.—
Quispe López,
Them,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share