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
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjusting to Life with a Defender Four-wheel disc brakes also provide plenty of stopping power, though stomping on the brake pedal causes some squirming from the tail end due to the high center of gravity.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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
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
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Verb
Its marketing releases are their own events in and of themselves, and Take-Two probably does not care at all about making its competitors squirm by not offering a specific release date (meant to be this fall).
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjusting to Life with a Defender Four-wheel disc brakes also provide plenty of stopping power, though stomping on the brake pedal causes some squirming from the tail end due to the high center of gravity.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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
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
See All Example Sentences for squirm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squirm
Verb
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In this puzzle, the fiddle is not the musical instrument, but a type of fidgeting.—
Deb Amlen,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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Sitting with his defense team in Judge Arun Subramanian’s lower Manhattan courtroom, a steely eyed and fidgeting Combs Friday morning listened as the ‘Me & U’ singer resumed her testimony under questioning from attorney Anna Estevao.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Verb
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An input lag of 4.6 milliseconds in the TV's dedicated Game mode is speedy enough for twitch reflexes, and the panel refreshes at 120Hz and supports variable refresh rates.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
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The sight of his twitching arm, middle finger raised, is a fun touch to an otherwise-underwhelming send-off.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Another tossed a traffic cone into the vehicle’s windshield, damaging it.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
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Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bookbag.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
5 May 2025
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However, the pendulum appears to be jerking back toward the physically and mentally unhealthy skinny extreme–and a new TikTok trend serves as the latest example: SkinnyTok.—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Take a soft spatula and run it around the rim of the pancake to release it from the pan and then wiggle the spatula underneath to flip it.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
10 May 2025
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The magnets drive a membrane that rapidly wiggles back and forth, pushing on the surrounding air.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 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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In a world of neon, glitter and stiletto boots, Cyrus writhes against walls and struts down sidewalks, notably the Hollywood Walk of Fame.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Even in the shade of a fruit tree, you could be surrounded by tiny skyscrapers — not made of steel or concrete, but of microscopic worms wriggling and writhing into the shape of long, vertical towers.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Nearby on the floor, O'Hara trembles and begs for her life.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
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More recently, Trump announced 50% tariffs on goods from the European Union last Friday, sending investors trembling during the long holiday weekend, before walking back on the decision Sunday evening.—
Lee Ying Shan,Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Squirm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squirm. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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