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
The way Benson landed on Wedgewood’s leg caused Wedgewood to fall to the ice and begin writhing in pain.
—
Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
His ire was directed at a Buffalo goal that was allowed despite Avs goalie Scott Wedgewood writhing in pain inside his net as it was scored early in the third period.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 2 Jan. 2025
Shortly after injecting the substance, Sparkle (Demi Moore, who just picked up her first-ever Golden Globe for the role) is writhing on her bathroom floor.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
Ivey immediately fell to the ground and was writhing in pain, even grabbing a referee’s leg in discomfort at one point.
—Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for writhe 
Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
His ire was directed at a Buffalo goal that was allowed despite Avs goalie Scott Wedgewood writhing in pain inside his net as it was scored early in the third period.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 2 Jan. 2025
Shortly after injecting the substance, Sparkle (Demi Moore, who just picked up her first-ever Golden Globe for the role) is writhing on her bathroom floor.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
Ivey immediately fell to the ground and was writhing in pain, even grabbing a referee’s leg in discomfort at one point.
—Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
Verb
-
This red could not be more luscious, with ribbons of bright strawberry woven through the darker auburn base, catching the light from all those flashing cameras.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Dosunmu spent most of his night chasing Curry around the perimeter, weaving his way through a tumult of screens in his attempt to slow Curry down.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Arrogant Backing yourself fully makes others squirm.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
17 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
At 4-4, after some tight misses from the back by Shelton and at the net by Sonego, the Italian twisted a kick serve down the middle to Shelton’s forehand.—
Matthew Futterman,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
-
To switch out the brush heads, simply twist the attach twist off and lock them into place.—
Nicol Natale,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Mouse studies also suggested that these moments of defiance can be seen as physical responses: mice zoned out for a split-second while their brains rebooted, and twitched in their sleep when those regions woke up briefly.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The video then shows one soldier apparently fire at the prone Ukrainians, the leg of one twitching after the gunfire.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
27 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Pia invites us into a realm where beauty and resilience entwine with raw vulnerability.—
Alessia Glaviano,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Drones became entwined with modern armed conflict years before President Vladimir V. Putin sent Russian mechanized divisions over Ukraine’s borders in 2022.—
C.J. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
However, there are downsides, as a dog may fidget or snore at night, which may disrupt your sleep cycle.—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
-
At exactly noon on New Year’s Day, about 20 people braced their feet against the silty shore of Lake Natoma, hopping and fidgeting to warm themselves.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacramento Bee,
1 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Seeing a player with the chops of Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion with 11 Tour wins, ranked No. 4 in the world, tossed about like a rag doll on the North Course.—
Bryce Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
-
One of several civil lawsuits filed in New York claiming that two brothers considered titans in the luxury real estate industry raped a woman as a third brother watched, was tossed by a federal judge Wednesday.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Instead of jerking the wheel or hitting the brakes, try to apply the brakes gently and steer smoothly.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Examples include: Absence seizures typically cause someone to blink their eyes quickly or stare into space without accompanying muscle stiffness or jerking.—
Rosanna Sutherby,
Verywell Health,
2 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near writhe
Cite this Entry
“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share