WIGGLED Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

wiggled

verb

past tense of wiggle

as in twitched

to make jerky or restless movements the baby wiggled in her sleep

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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 wiggled As a woman waded through the waters around the Bridge Side Marina in Bridge Isle, Louisiana, the tiny canine with a fluffy white coat wiggled his forelegs as if swimming, video of the cute moment shows. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026 Imanaga wiggled out of a one-out double in the first, then was supported by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s eighth leadoff home run of the season and the second in as many games. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Hawaii put runners on base in each of the first four innings, but Kirk wiggled out of it until the fifth when Waiki Doctolero blasted a three-run home run to get Hawaii back in the game. — Dennis Pope, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Punk eventually tried to go for the GTS, but Rhodes wiggled out and caught Punk in a headlock. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Femi tried to hit Lesnar with a Fall from Grace, but Lesnar wiggled out of it. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026 Advertisement Not every variety-show booking delighted every viewer (just ask the stiffs who hyperventilated when Elvis wiggled his hips on Sullivan’s stage), but there was enough, most nights, to captivate tens of millions of them. — Judy Berman, Time, 22 May 2026 Then, Parker took out a little piece of (fake) foreskin, put it on his finger — that had little eyes drawn on it — and wiggled it for the camera. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 19 May 2026 Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died. — Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wiggled

Verb

Just then, Chee Meng’s fishing rod twitched, and the line began to run out.

— Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of twitched

Verb

One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.

— David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.

— Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Definition of fidgeted

Verb

Yet Abrams still won’t kvetch about being crammed into a tiny whale-stomach set with a camera crew, while a half-dozen crew members surrounding the practical gut, wielding a gimbal, tossed him around like a wet rag doll.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Ohtani turned to the Dodgers’ dugout, spread his arms wide and tossed his bat to the side.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of tossed

Verb

During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Somewhere nearby, in a dark office, an eavesdropping oreja has just jerked to attention on his hard little chair.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of jerked

Verb

Unlike streaming metrics, which can be twisted and touted in any which way, box office dollars are uniformly reported — meaning there’s no denying a hit (or a miss).

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
It’s designed to be ergonomic, able to be held and twisted in myriad ways depending on what’s most comfortable for the user.

— Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of twisted

Verb

But what does some scientist know about eating fruit, of all things, when your hamstring feels like it’s being fiddled by Satan?

— Dan England, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
As Rossini stowed her purse in a tiny back office, a manager named Katie Atlas was onboarding a new employee, a young woman who fiddled nervously with her necklace.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Definition of fiddled

Browse Nearby Words

wiggle

wiggled

wiggle room

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“Wiggled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wiggled. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wiggled

verb

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