as in to stagger
to move forward while swaying from side to side
the duck waddled back into the water we watched the penguins waddle over the ice together
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waddle
Television Academy viewers didn’t treat The Penguin like some waddling bafoonish, cartoon villain, rather as a high-end prestige series.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 July 2025
Then a mascot dressed as a packet of olives waddled past, breaking the spell.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
Humanoid robots waddled, stumbled and occasionally face-planted their way through a 3-on-3 soccer tournament in Beijing on Saturday that looked more like the first day of little league than the rise of a robotic Lionel Messi.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Later, Happy's hopes of winning the prestigious Tour Championship are nearly crushed — or crunched — when Morris waddles up from a water feature and clamps down on Happy's golf ball.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 15 July 2025
Then a mascot dressed as a packet of olives waddled past, breaking the spell.
—Arietta Hallock, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 July 2025
Humanoid robots waddled, stumbled and occasionally face-planted their way through a 3-on-3 soccer tournament in Beijing on Saturday that looked more like the first day of little league than the rise of a robotic Lionel Messi.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Later, Happy's hopes of winning the prestigious Tour Championship are nearly crushed — or crunched — when Morris waddles up from a water feature and clamps down on Happy's golf ball.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for waddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddle
Verb
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Roughly two-thirds of the state’s billionaires made their fortunes in finance and investments, including richest resident (former NYC mayor) Michael Bloomberg, who’s worth staggering $109 billion.—
Ella Malmgren,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Losing Garcia for any length of time would further stagger an Astros pitching staff that can ill afford any more attrition.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To make for a more energy efficient and less nerve-racking exodus experience, once the line grows large enough, pulsing begins, wherein vehicles move in packs rather than lurch along at 5 mph.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The museum also held workshops on weaving motankas (traditional Ukrainian rag dolls) and a blacksmithing festival.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
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On Water Expeditions The Hooghly River weaves through the Indian state of West Bengal from the Ganges, its parent river, to the sea, through a landscape lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Joe Biden tottered and fell (literally as well as metaphorically), more than a few pundits compared him to Lear, a man who was ruined by age, pride, and the flattery of sycophants.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
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Dina Tomczak, the school’s athletic director, tottered into her office having barely slept.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Young Hamnet’s shuffling off this mortal coil once laid the groundwork for a masterpiece.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shelters that shuffle people in and out overnight don’t solve anything.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddle. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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