wriggled; wriggling
ˈri-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to move the body or a bodily part to and fro with short writhing motions like a worm : squirm
2
: to move or advance by twisting and turning
3
: to extricate or insinuate oneself or reach a goal as if by wriggling
1
: to cause to move in short quick contortions
2
: to introduce, insinuate, or bring into a state or place by or as if by wriggling
1
: a short or quick writhing motion or contortion
2
: a formation or marking of sinuous design
Synonyms
Examples of wriggle in a Sentence
Verb
The children wriggled and squirmed in their chairs.
She managed to wriggle free of her ropes.
They wriggled out of their wet clothes.
I had trouble getting the wriggling fish off my hook.
The snake wriggled across the path and went underneath a bush.
He was able to wriggle through the narrow opening.
Recent Examples on the Web
George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Spearing a snapper or a lobster takes considerable skill and patience, but with the sea turtles, reef sharks, and spotted eagle rays wriggling around down there, the appealing scenery is worth the trek.
—Alex Schechter, AFAR Media, 27 Dec. 2024
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Fire and water have hogged the spotlight for too long; smoke has its own glamour, its own deathless wriggle.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for wriggle 
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Verb
Sven Botman’s surprise return after nearly 10 months out with an ACL knee injury brought an early concession when Dominic Solanke wriggled around him, but in the circumstances, the Dutchman was excellent, playing on until cramp gripped him in the final minutes.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 4 Jan. 2025
Spearing a snapper or a lobster takes considerable skill and patience, but with the sea turtles, reef sharks, and spotted eagle rays wriggling around down there, the appealing scenery is worth the trek.
—Alex Schechter, AFAR Media, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
In the world of Eraserhead, the first feature of David Lynch, everything is emphatically not fine: Strange industrial noises fill the soundtrack, all efforts at human connection go awry, and worst of all, our hero has fathered a disgusting inhuman creature the wriggles and oozes all over its crib.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Fire and water have hogged the spotlight for too long; smoke has its own glamour, its own deathless wriggle.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for wriggle
Dictionary Entries Near wriggle
Cite this Entry
“Wriggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wriggle. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wriggle
2 of 2 noun1
: a short or quick twisting motion
2
: a formation or marking having a winding or twisting course or appearance
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