1
as in squirms
to make jerky or restless movements
a toddler wriggling in his seat all throughout the church service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in worms
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
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Recent Examples of wriggles
Tuesday, March 3, is when the full Worm Moon wriggles its way into the night sky.
—
John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
John Tufts, IndyStar, 24 Feb. 2026
That calls for a little extra creativity from its mom — and the movie’s narrator (Emilia Clarke) — who wriggles her mandibles and gets to work embellishing upon what Dahl imagined.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wriggles
Verb
-
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.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Think about how often your toddler crawls near the dog bed or your kids toss pet toys around the living room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
MomTok got Taylor on the plane and off to star in The Bachelorette, but not before Dakota worms his way in one last time.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Guiteau eventually worms his way into an audience, ostensibly seeking an ambassadorship for his dubious contributions to the campaign but, in reality, requesting a path to greatness.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In a video demonstrating their technology, robots with a single arm attached to a base watch as a human instructor tosses a ball into a small container.—
Katia Riddle,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Sneak extra broccoli into dinner with this pesto pasta that blends the veggie into both the sauce and tosses it into the finished dish too.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mildew creeps along the corners of the tub.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Win it, and suddenly the series tightens, the doubt creeps in and the path gets a lot more complicated for Orlando.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Conversely, water infiltrates sandy loam soil relatively quickly but also drains out fairly quickly.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The film centers on a wealthy family whose polished exterior begins to crack when an ancient centipede spirit infiltrates their bloodline.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Another car snakes down the road.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Londoners won’t queue for just anything, but the coffee and pastries at Jolene are well worth joining the line that often snakes around the corner.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wriggles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wriggles. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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