as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in squirming
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 squirm
Liana Finck, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2025
Republicans from farm states have squirmed at his plans to impose new tariffs on all goods entering the United States.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
An unholy chatter fills the soundtrack and what appears to be dozens upon dozens of shiny black bugs squirming and gnashing as each other.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
Rod Laver Arena too was flat, the crowd squirming around awkwardly, trying to figure out what to cheer for.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
Juggling life and work as an artist feels like trying to juggle a live, squirming human child and Schrödinger’s theoretical cat.
—Liana Finck, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2025
Republicans from farm states have squirmed at his plans to impose new tariffs on all goods entering the United States.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
An unholy chatter fills the soundtrack and what appears to be dozens upon dozens of shiny black bugs squirming and gnashing as each other.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
Rod Laver Arena too was flat, the crowd squirming around awkwardly, trying to figure out what to cheer for.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
-
Rosenkrantz is played in the two-hander by Rebecca Hall with warmth and humor and a physical ease that makes Linda much more centered and self-contained than Whishaw’s chain-smoking, often fidgeting Peter.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Closed, tight arms can convey anger or resentment, and slouching, fidgeting and a limp handshake might convey a lack of confidence.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In the video, the robot hangs suspended from the ceiling as its limbs twitch and kick, marking what the company claims is a step toward its goal of creating household-helper robots.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The elephant is now decidedly less friendly, and is doing far more than twitching and grunting.—
Stephen Maher,
TIME,
15 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
-
The Tesla doesn’t have that collaborative aspect and will shut off if the driver jerks the wheel.—
Robert Ferris,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2025
-
There are numerous moments where she is lost in a dream or a memory before suddenly jerking awake, often too clearly delineating the boundaries in a film ostensibly about its main character’s delusions.—
Ryan Swen,
Variety,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Next, wiggle the brush up- and outward to ensure lashes are sufficiently and evenly coated.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Thus, ancient parents also knew the struggle that came with combing a wiggling child’s hair.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Life’s hard enough, and if facial fiddling is music to your ears, have at it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The fiddling pays off when the fresh herb vinaigrette dresses a mix of Iceberg lettuce and one of the mixed greens combos sold in the marketplace.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
When the doctor arrives, Harry continues to writhe in pain.—
Gina Ragusa,
EW.com,
17 Feb. 2025
-
While panelists like Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin jumped up from the table to show off their accessories — and even danced/gyrated/writhed behind the Hot Topics table while wearing them — Goldberg was stunned into silence upon first receiving hers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
-
As the solution flowed into both of his arms, Nelson at first trembled, then died in silence with his eyelids, on which dollar signs are tattooed, closed.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share