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
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
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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Lockwood takes different noises—from volcanic activity in Hawaii to spring peepers near the Mississippi River, crows around Essex, and hydroacoustic signals in the Tasman Sea—and weaves a tapestry in constant flux.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
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Dolan dissects his estrangement from his mother after forty years of attempts at peace, and weaves in research and reportage about child abuse and trauma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
It is made of hard plastic and twists together, but other than that, this accessory serves the same purpose as Apple’s key ring.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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And you’re also reminded that such things are still tainted, even if the movie twists itself into knots to circumvent such thinking, and the level of innocence required to listen to those hits is long gone.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
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.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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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.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Writhes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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