1
as in twisted
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in twitched
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of writhed
Lesnar smiled as Femi writhed in pain from the multiple finishing moves.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
While family members and peers in Yuba City waited for more information, Burris writhed deeper into the bus, and responders in Martinez formulated a plan to rescue the people left inside.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
His fingers splayed and writhed like a terrible mandible.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Doncic writhed below the basket, spending a stoppage of 2-plus minutes with a Lakers trainer kneeling beside him.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
As a teller activated an alarm and called 911 from under her station desk, Brown writhed on the carpet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024.
—Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025
Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
While family members and peers in Yuba City waited for more information, Burris writhed deeper into the bus, and responders in Martinez formulated a plan to rescue the people left inside.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
His fingers splayed and writhed like a terrible mandible.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
Ref Bankes initially ignored the wide-eyed protests of several Chelsea players to flash only his yellow card as Garnacho writhed, grimacing on the floor and clutching his left leg.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Doncic writhed below the basket, spending a stoppage of 2-plus minutes with a Lakers trainer kneeling beside him.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026
As a teller activated an alarm and called 911 from under her station desk, Brown writhed on the carpet.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Lorde writhed and danced on the b-stage and then launched into her own verse, recorded for the song’s viral remix during the brat-green summer of 2024.
—Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025
Tatum clutched his ankle and writhed in agony on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden before being wheeled to the locker room, head in hands.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhed
Verb
-
And, in the aftermath of a stomach-churning stick-up that twisted my guts with the queasy horror of a repressed memory, Gary is given a week to make the problem go away.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
Roger Ebert, who half-heartedly praised the music, gave it one star, then twisted the knife.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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
-
Her hair was braided and a short veil could be seen flowing from it in a few photos.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Often composed of three to five plants braided together to form one trunk, the money tree can grow up to 2 feet per year!—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 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
-
Davis plied his trade in Reno, Nevada, at a time when the American West was developing into a manufacturing hub at breakneck speed.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 May 2026
-
While virtually every other draftable player was in a power conference this year, Graves plied his trade for the third-place team in the West Coast Conference.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Riley’s movies are entwined with—and, often, inspired by—music.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
That’s partly because the festival has become entwined in the company’s DNA, with Neon winning six Palme d’Ors in a row, a fact that the studio often highlights in its promotional materials.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 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
Cite this Entry
“Writhed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhed. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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