as in twitching
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1
as in weaving
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in squirming
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
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Recent Examples of writhing
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Judith Beheading Holofernes, in which the heroine, with just a bit of a wince, is pictured in mid-decapitation of the writhing enemy, anticipates the action thriller.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Snow was adamant about showing the blood and needles in the film as well as footage of himself writhing in pain on hospital beds and the frustration of waiting hours for doctors to provide adequate dosages of pain medication that can help him.
—Marissa Evans, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The string arrangements are lovely, lending every song a measure of uplift and writhing texture.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Madonna’s floor-writhing performance of the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards was a cultural landmark — or landmine — and fueled her rise to becoming one of the biggest musical acts of the 20th century.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
An agonized woman, writhing and coughing and gnarled by disease, is found in a field on the edge of town.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Lying on the snow, Vonn could be heard yelling and writhing in pain for multiple minutes before medical personnel could reach her.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 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
The camera swept in and among the writhing bodies in a rollicking, kinetic performance.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Judith Beheading Holofernes, in which the heroine, with just a bit of a wince, is pictured in mid-decapitation of the writhing enemy, anticipates the action thriller.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Snow was adamant about showing the blood and needles in the film as well as footage of himself writhing in pain on hospital beds and the frustration of waiting hours for doctors to provide adequate dosages of pain medication that can help him.
—Marissa Evans, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The string arrangements are lovely, lending every song a measure of uplift and writhing texture.
—Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 19 Feb. 2026
Madonna’s floor-writhing performance of the song at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards was a cultural landmark — or landmine — and fueled her rise to becoming one of the biggest musical acts of the 20th century.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
An agonized woman, writhing and coughing and gnarled by disease, is found in a field on the edge of town.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Lying on the snow, Vonn could be heard yelling and writhing in pain for multiple minutes before medical personnel could reach her.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhing
Noun
-
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gosnell did not testify at his 2013 trial, but his defense attorney argued that none of the fetuses were born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms, according to the AP.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Foini village the Dio Dio Collective organizes chair-weaving workshops, part of efforts to document and revive the island's furniture-making heritage.—
Selina Denman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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His sympathetic patter also gives Guirgis an opportunity to start weaving in the character’s politics.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There will be no squirming tonight.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In the new iteration that would be Jack and his girlfriend Martha (Elle Fanning), whose introduction to the Taylors is one of many scenes played out with squirming discomfort.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The latest to join the ranks is nicotinamide mononucleotide—or NMN—a slightly tongue-twisting name that’s been popping up everywhere, especially within celebrity circles.—
Alex Vance,
SELF,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Before the words twisting in her mouth could emerge, a bespectacled cop materialized through the thin line of smoke, speeding past her, toward me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The design was inspired by the hair-tearing boredom of COVID lockdown-era remote work, a time in which Knafs founder Ben Petersen maintained sanity during Zoom calls by fidgeting around with pocket knives and doodling pictures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the mayor’s dramatic tale of his predecessor’s fiscal fiddling was designed with a clear political agenda in mind: both to underline the magnitude of the problem and to identify the villains responsible for this perfidy.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
29 Jan. 2026
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As the options for facial fiddling have become more accessible, the face is increasingly regarded as an image to be perfected.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The idea of tossing a bunch of ingredients into a device in the morning and coming home to a delicious hot meal is undoubtedly appealing, but the reality often falls short.—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of tossing the expensive liquor, the man decided to share it with his fellow passengers.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Packed with numerous squirm-worthy scenes and strong commentary on impossible beauty standards, this film is best watched when the clock strikes midnight.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
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Even the normally surefire element of a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with its blasts of dissonance pumping up the squirm factor, adds to the heavy-going effect of a movie that seems to go out of its way to be grating.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Writhing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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