as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in squirming
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 squirm
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 27 Feb. 2025
The production seems to have been given zero access to these bachelor’s dates or online interactions; instead, they are recounted as unsurprising post-game chastise sessions, with Hao reiterating his principles while the other men nod along or squirm a bit.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
No more squirming outside a locked restroom with a swollen bladder, while desperately eyeing a vacant restroom restricted to people of a different gender.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Two fluffy, gray eaglets squirmed in the nest as Shadow happily settled in to keep his new chicks safe and warm.
—Devyn Byers, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
Trump: Ukraine should turn to Europe for security USDA chief pitches egg prices plan
The Cabinet and Congress, at least for the time being, squirm in Elon Musk’s shadow.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 27 Feb. 2025
The production seems to have been given zero access to these bachelor’s dates or online interactions; instead, they are recounted as unsurprising post-game chastise sessions, with Hao reiterating his principles while the other men nod along or squirm a bit.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
No more squirming outside a locked restroom with a swollen bladder, while desperately eyeing a vacant restroom restricted to people of a different gender.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Two fluffy, gray eaglets squirmed in the nest as Shadow happily settled in to keep his new chicks safe and warm.
—Devyn Byers, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
-
Minimize distracting habits like fidgeting, checking your watch, or tapping your fingers.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Glancing away or fidgeting—Signals discomfort or disinterest.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In the footage, the faceless android is seen suspended from the ceiling, its limbs twitching and moving in an unsettlingly human-like manner.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Something similar happened to Lindon’s recreation of a Picasso painting: His hand twitched, tearing the work to pieces.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Simpson visited the Menendez family’s home in the 1970s, even tossing a football with Lyle in the backyard.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The footage, captured at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, allegedly showed Ventura walking toward a bank of elevators as Combs chased after her, then grabbing her by the neck and tossing her to the floor before turning to violently kick her and grab her purse and suitcase.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
How to jerk off Jerking off, also known as jacking off, is another technique that can be helpful in your arsenal of self-pleasure.—
Quispe López,
Them,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Cass jerked open the lever again and an unused shell arcked out and fell in the leaves beside the bleeding hound.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Launch control is easy to engage—just keep your left foot on the brake, then your right on the throttle, then lift off the brake—and will see the car shimmy and wiggle a bit as the four tires try to send almost a thousand horsepower to the road surface.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Subtle twitches of the rod tip to get the bait wiggling can be the trigger, but in heavier current, sometimes keeping a tight line and letting the flow give the bait action is enough to fool a giant brown or rainbow.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Life’s hard enough, and if facial fiddling is music to your ears, have at it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The fiddling pays off when the fresh herb vinaigrette dresses a mix of Iceberg lettuce and one of the mixed greens combos sold in the marketplace.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Only two bodies remain still: Ferran’s, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale — two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2025
-
And inmates have been seen to writhe and struggle when the latest method, nitrogen gas, is used to suffocate them as it is pushed through a mask.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Needless to say, those of us who remember 1987 are trembling, and were expecting a frightful jobs report.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Historians would be called in to provide context, and every social-media app would be trembling with outrage.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share