as in twitching
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in weaving
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squirming
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 writhing
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
There was no diving here; no, this was earnest, earned writhing on the grass — medically justified.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
Surrounded by her family, Sybil’s body goes limp after several intense minutes of writhing in pain on the bed.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
The sight of Edward Cabrera writhing on the ground in pain was not one Craig Counsell needed to see Tuesday night.
—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
In the opening minutes, a crunching collision in front of the goal between Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand left Beiranvand writhing on the grass for several minutes, holding his face.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
The process involves a writhing dance that looks a lot like the dance that male and female sunfish perform with each other prior to breeding.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Adams, for one, spent a fair portion of the first half on the grass, writhing in pain.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 June 2026
Even as Chisholm spent several minutes on the ground writhing in pain, a few of his teammates, including Judge, Grisham and Clarke Schmidt, couldn’t help but smirk at his misfortune.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
Noun
Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment.
—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
Myers, writhing in pain on the warning track, was bent over when his fellow outfielders came over to tend to him, while the Reds training staff started the sprint out onto the field.
—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
There was no diving here; no, this was earnest, earned writhing on the grass — medically justified.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 June 2026
Surrounded by her family, Sybil’s body goes limp after several intense minutes of writhing in pain on the bed.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
The sight of Edward Cabrera writhing on the ground in pain was not one Craig Counsell needed to see Tuesday night.
—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
In the opening minutes, a crunching collision in front of the goal between Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand left Beiranvand writhing on the grass for several minutes, holding his face.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
The process involves a writhing dance that looks a lot like the dance that male and female sunfish perform with each other prior to breeding.
—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Adams, for one, spent a fair portion of the first half on the grass, writhing in pain.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
20 June 2026
Even as Chisholm spent several minutes on the ground writhing in pain, a few of his teammates, including Judge, Grisham and Clarke Schmidt, couldn’t help but smirk at his misfortune.
—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhing
Noun
-
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
-
Alongside Chase and her family stands film director Guy Ritchie; not as a badge‑on celebrity, but as a creative collaborator who has invested both capital and time in the project, designing the Wild Kitchen feasting tables and quietly weaving the whisky into his storytelling world.
-
But over the nearly one-and-a-half years since the 2025 mega-fires, native and invasive grasses, bushes and trees have begun to regrow, weaving flammable greenery across the landscape.
Verb
-
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.
-
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).
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.
Verb
-
When the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Balogun’s right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.
-
Clark survived that threat of twisting her ankle.
Verb
-
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.
-
Pekara said hospital surveillance footage captured him fidgeting under the blanket.
Noun
-
Her fiddling is a looser, freer, more accessible type of memorialization—less a notation than an invocation, a summoning of her homeland’s spirit.
-
Colorado’s lone goal was a result of some Matt Wells tactical fiddling — and Keegan Rosenberry playing like his job’s on the line — gone right.
Verb
-
Roughly chop the smashed cucumbers before tossing them with the vinaigrette.
-
Paula quickly gets rid of the gun, tossing it in the garbage of the police station bathroom, but pockets the flash drive.
Cite this Entry
“Writhing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
