as in lurching
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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Recent Examples of waddling
More serious collectors may prefer waddling to the local Cars & Coffee with an earlier VW, recalling a kinder, gentler, and far slower-paced time than our present age.
—
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
But Seymour did not opt for the waddling bird in the hand.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
But Seymour did not opt for the waddling bird in the hand.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waddling
Verb
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The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
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 young men in Bruins blue and gold staggering off the field afterwards dazed, confused.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
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In it, a monster with bolts in his head and a shuffling gate was created by a man.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
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The closures have resulted in staff shuffling throughout the library system and rescheduled activities such as author talks and photography exhibits.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Here, Eady speaks with Deadline about the fun of weaving a fantastical and spiritual tale about the real threats of land loss and economic hardships in the Black community.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
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Guzman fell in love with the way Williams captures the beauty of everyday life, weaving humor, heartache and joy into a story that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.—
American Booksellers Association,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waddling. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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