wriggle

1
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service

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2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground a worm slowly wriggled across the sidewalk

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3
as in to worm
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way within a month of his arrival, this social upstart had wriggled himself into the family's good graces

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Examples 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 Murphy continued his fine pre-season, Isak turned provider before missing a penalty which his wriggling brilliance had won and Longstaff is again scoring goals. George Caulkin, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024 The gap grew worse with the launch of PlayStation 2 in 2000, with Sony wriggling their way into households across the globe with an immense library including the Final Fantasy and Grand Theft Auto series, on top of its popularity as an affordable DVD player. Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024 But Trump famously wriggles free from such fetters and resists being hemmed in. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024 Here are five interesting facts about all that wriggles or grows around Lady Bird Lake. Cross Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 9 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for wriggle 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggle
Verb
  • The pediatric dentist must use his or her unique expertise to make split-second decisions when a six-year-old child is squirming in the chair.
    Chris Westfall, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Lauren Goode: At this point, Zuckerberg is squirming in his seat.
    Lauren Goode, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Some sailors clung to mooring lines, crawling across to find safety.
    Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024
  • The creature then rips her mouth open and crawls inside.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The uncertainty, the instability, the danger that pervades his life worms off the page and into your brain.
    Longreads, Longreads, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Keep your pet’s vaccines and worming medications up-to-date since they can be exposed to rabies, canine distemper and other parasites from raccoons and their waste.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Low-voltage emissions cause the prey to involuntarily twitch.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
  • Locals twitched at their curtains and looked outside.
    James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
Verb
  • That may allow patchwork-style legislation to creep into the AI sector.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 6 Dec. 2024
  • That is still low by historical standards, although the rate has crept up from 3.7% at the start of the year.
    Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The TikTok clip capturing Via’s reaction has garnered millions of views, with many parents chiming in about their own experiences sneaking pop culture references into baby names.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Later that night, Nina notices the Bride sneaking out of the palace and follows her.
    Hayden Mears, TVLine, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Prep Potatoes In a large bowl, toss potatoes and onion with reserved bacon drippings, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The motorcycle’s 705 pounds with a full tank of gas were easy to toss around, even during Flintstone moves when parking.
    Josh Max, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Reached by a real asphalted road, which snakes around the mountainside, the mountain also affords spectacular panoramic views of wooded plains way below, stretching to the horizon.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Hit Taroona Beach, south of Hobart, during the warmer months to catch a thrilling after-dark duo: auroras snaking across the sky as electric blue bioluminescence pulses across the water.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 21 Nov. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggle. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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