1
as in to weave
to cause to twine about one another
tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements
writhing in pain from his injuries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of writhe
All the spies in The Agency — including Martian's superior (American Fiction's Jeffrey Wright) and his superior (Oh, Canada's Richard Gere) —all seem to harbor in their bowels long, slowly writhing tapeworms of bureaucratic anxiety.
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
As the man rises, the officer can be seen forcing him back to his knees, then flipping him flat to the ground and holding him there with his entire body, holding one leg on either side of the man’s body while the man writhes.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA regular-season MVP — the Milwaukee Bucks’ best player and greatest hope to win their first NBA title in half a century — was writhing in pain with 7 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals in Atlanta.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
After writhing on the ground for a few minutes, Irving was helped to the free-throw line and channeled his inner Kobe:
Chills.
—Stan Son, The Athletic, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
As the man rises, the officer can be seen forcing him back to his knees, then flipping him flat to the ground and holding him there with his entire body, holding one leg on either side of the man’s body while the man writhes.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA regular-season MVP — the Milwaukee Bucks’ best player and greatest hope to win their first NBA title in half a century — was writhing in pain with 7 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals in Atlanta.
—Eric Nehm, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
After writhing on the ground for a few minutes, Irving was helped to the free-throw line and channeled his inner Kobe:
Chills.
—Stan Son, The Athletic, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
Verb
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The trail weaves through the coastal waters of Lee County from the Pine Island Sound to Estero Bay, up the Caloosahatchee River and through its tributaries.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
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Produced by Tomás Cortés of Cine Animal and supported by Panama’s Ministry of Culture, the film weaves animation, archival footage and interviews to trace Guardia’s personal journey, fueled by his childhood memories of provocative Panamanian artist Julio Zachrisson’s odd yet captivating artworks.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Joseph Quinn, the terrific British actor from A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2 (and our next Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps), spends the bulk of this picture squirming in torment, emitting ear-splitting noises from deep within the pits of hell.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The sixth episode of The White Lotus Season 3 has critics stunned—and in some cases, squirming—after a grim hour that pushed creator Mike White's pitch-black satire to new depths.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On his podcast, Wright talked about how his comments were twisted.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2025
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Dawn broke to reveal its source: a long, narrow ridge of jagged ice that had mysteriously arisen across the lake’s surface, meandering like the spiked back of a twisting dragon.—
Martin Fackler,
New York Times,
28 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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In an age where algorithms entwine with everyday decisions, leaders are beginning to face a stark imperative.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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This is my mother’s strength and sorrow, entwined yet again.—
Shyla Watson,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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