1
as in weaves
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squirms
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 writhes
Reid writhes in front of Zaman, sticking out his tongue in one take, running his hand down his body in another, all while a gigantic technocrane zooms overhead.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
The truth risks bringing down the whole edifice, which is why the system writhes to hide who takes decisions large and small.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Dec. 2025
So says the priest (Ben Hall) to Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who writhes in a dark room, foaming at the mouth before a gathering of fellow Carmelite nuns.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
The truth risks bringing down the whole edifice, which is why the system writhes to hide who takes decisions large and small.
—
Azadeh Moaveni,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction.
—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Dec. 2025
So says the priest (Ben Hall) to Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland), who writhes in a dark room, foaming at the mouth before a gathering of fellow Carmelite nuns.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhes
Verb
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The show weaves together AI, generative imagery, immersive audio and spatial narrative design, which organizers describe as producing a living, evolving environment.
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From the thorny starting point of an Apache raid on a Western homestead, Costner weaves a complex, multi-perspective tale that wrestles with the romance and realities of American colonialism and mythmaking.
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.
Verb
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Pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and this dip adds a couple twists to impress at any gathering.
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Often, the bark twists around the tree in a process called strip-barking.
Verb
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This would avoid a repeat of the Champions League final in May, which saw Paris Saint-Germain win both coin tosses to decide the end they were taken from and their order.
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The unanimous appeals court decision tosses a February district court ruling that ordered the National Parks Service (NPS) to restore the panels that were removed from the site.
Verb
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.
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.
Verb
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.
Cite this Entry
“Writhes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhes. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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