as in to fidget
to make jerky or restless movements
the toddler squirmed the whole time we were in the waiting room
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as in squirming
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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
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Minimize distracting habits like fidgeting, checking your watch, or tapping your fingers.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Glancing away or fidgeting—Signals discomfort or disinterest.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kirk says that when a cat experiences changes in air pressure, which can also happen while riding in a car, their ears may move or twitch in response.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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That ratio is naturally reversed here, though the director drops in a few snippets of the actual team near the beginning and the end, including a grainy, chilling shot of the real Lemons twitching near the ocean floor.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Nathan tossed the black backpack into a trash can, Seraphine said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
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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
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This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
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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
Verb
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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
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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
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Life’s hard enough, and if facial fiddling is music to your ears, have at it.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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 16 Apr. 2025.
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