as in writhing
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1
as in squirming
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in infiltrating
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
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Recent Examples of wriggling
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
For his part, Sherman, a long-time champion of wriggling remedies, cheered the clearance as a step forward for MDT generally.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Reaching out hands to help the suffering, Didi and Gogo go down themselves—all mankind a wriggling heap.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
The predator can breathe air, survive out of water and walk (more of a wriggling, snake-like motion) on land for at least four days.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Piles of wriggling janitor fish filled red barrels along the reservoir — tangible proof that something, at last, was being done.
—
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
And, of course, finding anything wriggling around in your box of cereal or cornmeal is definitely upsetting.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Authorities on Tuesday reportedly apprehended the Michigan woman who went viral after wriggling her way through a police cruiser window while still handcuffed in a daring getaway, according to local outlets.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
Barnard attended the ceremony with Soprano, Lola’s female stand-in and a convincing lookalike, who accepted the collar with considerable enthusiasm and even more considerable wriggling.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
Wrapped in red, white and blue, and with fine-grain sand wedged between his wriggling toes, Edward didn’t want the night to end.
—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
For his part, Sherman, a long-time champion of wriggling remedies, cheered the clearance as a step forward for MDT generally.
—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Reaching out hands to help the suffering, Didi and Gogo go down themselves—all mankind a wriggling heap.
—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
The predator can breathe air, survive out of water and walk (more of a wriggling, snake-like motion) on land for at least four days.
—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Piles of wriggling janitor fish filled red barrels along the reservoir — tangible proof that something, at last, was being done.
—
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
And, of course, finding anything wriggling around in your box of cereal or cornmeal is definitely upsetting.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Authorities on Tuesday reportedly apprehended the Michigan woman who went viral after wriggling her way through a police cruiser window while still handcuffed in a daring getaway, according to local outlets.
—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Around them, a dozen children sunk into their parents’ laps — giggling, wriggling and delighted by the story.
—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggling
Noun
-
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.
Verb
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With the contact patch sliding and squirming, the brakes had less to work with—and the car took just enough extra distance to end in an impact.
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Unless your companion could use a hand or is traveling with young kids (in the latter case, if this person also happens to be your spouse or partner, really not cool to leave them with the stroller, diaper bag, squirming kids).
Verb
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The Germans were crawling as far as the street, dashing across the asphalt, then leaping into the second trench.
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Jude Cornell joined a swarm of toddlers crawling after soccer balls, tossing training cones into the air and relocating a goalie net that was proving to be very, very portable.
Verb
-
Towle, 26, is currently in between stages of a clinical trial involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy.
-
Lanzani plays Rubio, an army officer tasked with infiltrating the Santa Cruz Church where the relatives of the missing have begun organizing.
Noun
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Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.
-
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.
Verb
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In addition to having lofty themes, this is also a fairly rousing adventure with enough visual panache to keep any kid from fidgeting in his seat.
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Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.
Verb
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Costs begin creeping higher, margins get a little tighter and profitability comes under pressure.
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About 1 million 16-to-24-year-olds now find themselves not in employment, education or training, with levels creeping toward highs not seen since the 2008 financial crash.
Verb
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Just a few weeks into the war, one of the Persian Gulf’s top oil producers quietly began sneaking its crude out of the Strait of Hormuz.
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But neither those measures nor Friday’s sizzling temperatures stopped fans from gathering in hopes of sneaking a peak at their longtime idol and sending Swift their well wishes.
Cite this Entry
“Wriggling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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