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
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Recent Examples of wriggles
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
Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggles
Verb
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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
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As with aftermarket switchable sway bar systems, drivers can lock the sway bars in place for better handling and stability at speed and unlock them completely for maximum articulation during bumpy rock crawls.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ma crawls toward you and plants her palms on your cheeks.—
Molly Aitken,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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But don’t let any of that hinder you from seeing director/co-screenwriter Ryan Prows’ nutso horror movie, which also tosses some decidedly less effective social commentary onto the barbie.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Some lay them flat, others hang them up, and the last set tosses them into a bin.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Suspicion and shame drenched Hanceville like the fog that creeps down Main Street.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Mintz agrees that intentional time matters, especially when guilt creeps in.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Newberry co-stars as a woman who infiltrates the cult in search of her missing sister.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
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Tehran stars Niv Sultan as agent Tamar Robinyan, a hacker who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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From the mouth of Lake of the Woods, the Warroad River snakes through the middle of the city limits, a few blocks from the headquarters of Marvin Windows and Doors, the employer as synonymous with the town as the sport of hockey.—
Dave Campbell,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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The dining room features a sprawling chandelier that snakes its way across the ceiling.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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