1
as in squirms
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in worms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 wriggles
Tuesday, March 3, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky.
—
John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggles
Verb
-
When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Macfadyen tosses Dirty Rotten Scoundrels into the stew of influences.—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Lindell eventually accepts the documents, tosses them aside, and continues his interview with O’Keefe Media Group reporter Michael Casey.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bottom line Concentration risk often creeps into your portfolio over time.—
Doug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But as Mecklenburg County’s sprawl creeps its way into Union County, leaders are looking for ways to preserve the area’s rural feel the farmland that supports it.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When investigative journalist infiltrates the group, the noose around the sect begins to tighten.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To accommodate the mass of passengers, the line snakes through baggage claim and around the terminal.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Miraculously, the line of people that usually snakes down Melrose yearning for a slice of chef Karla Subero Pittol’s passion lime fruit icebox pie is nonexistent today.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
