as in twitched
to make jerky or restless movements
small children are likely to fidget in church
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Recent Examples of fidgeted
One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.
—
David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025
David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fidgeted
Verb
-
My jaw twitched uncontrollably.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Belloumi’s 64th-minute strike with his left foot broke the deadlock in the second game of the two-leg affair and Gelhardt made sure with a low shot that squirmed past the Millwall goalkeeper.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
-
His Japanese guest, usually a paragon of diplomatic cool, visibly squirmed.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
My empty paper bowl jerked along the belt, stopping under each funnel.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
This recipe shows the humble white button mushroom’s versatility in a savory sauce thickened with heavy cream and flavored with garlic and shallots and tossed with chicken meatballs.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
-
The pork is served over a bed of spaghetti tossed with fresh arugula, whose peppery bite adds a bright, fresh contrast.—
Linda Gassenheimer,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
But what does some scientist know about eating fruit, of all things, when your hamstring feels like it’s being fiddled by Satan?—
Dan England,
Outside,
5 Feb. 2026
-
As Rossini stowed her purse in a tiny back office, a manager named Katie Atlas was onboarding a new employee, a young woman who fiddled nervously with her necklace.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Arndt allowed baserunners in each of the first five innings but wiggled out of most of the jams.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fidgeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fidgeted. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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