writhe

verb

ˈrīt͟h How to pronounce writhe (audio)
Definition of writhenext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements writhing in pain from his injuries

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 writhe Henderson, 36, spent the match on the bench in England's 3-2 win, but quickly drew attention after falling over an advertising board, leaving him writhing in pain during a moment of victory for England. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 There was no diving here; no, this was earnest, earned writhing on the grass — medically justified. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 June 2026 Surrounded by her family, Sybil’s body goes limp after several intense minutes of writhing in pain on the bed. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 The process involves a writhing dance that looks a lot like the dance that male and female sunfish perform with each other prior to breeding. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
  1. weave
  2. squirm
  3. twist
  4. twitch
  5. entwine
  6. fidget
  7. toss
  8. jerk
Verb
  • In a women's cooperative in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains, members weave wedding blankets, and at a workshop in Bagru in India, artisans pound block prints onto fabric.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Novotny recently created the look for Julia Fox, weaving chestnut tones through the deeper base for a soft, lived-in effect.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Where Raphael’s infant Christ is plump, acquiescent, docile, Cassatt’s children squirm, resist, and ignore authority.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Its defenders will have to do better than making Infantino squirm.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of squirm
Verb
  • The system shudders a bit and then gets back to normal, like a person stubbing a toe or twisting an ankle faces discomfort and difficulty walking for a while.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • His support of his ex-wife has been twisted around by citizen detectives who have accused Patrick of money-grabbing.
    — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of twist
Verb
  • The 5-11, 210-pounder is a sudden cutter who runs with power and twitch, attacking space like a great punt returner.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Yet subject and setting are not the same, only closely entwined.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The stories of two high schoolers, Jules and Quinn, entwine on May 1, the day a serial killer attacks one of them.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of entwine
Verb
  • Following this concern, 55% of parents said their top concern was their child’s ability to complete multistep tasks such as homework while 45% of parents cited fidgeting.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The current boom is driven by Gen Z’s openness about mental health, social-commerce virality on TikTok and Etsy, and a broader nervous-system regulation movement that treats fidgeting as a legitimate coping tool rather than a bad habit.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fidget
Verb
  • Royals Manager Matt Quatraro gets tossed after umpires reverse a run scoring balk taking away a run from the Royals.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But on a recent day, Aly was salvaging bricks from his razed home, tossing the good ones in a pile to sell to construction companies.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of toss
Verb
  • Henry drove off and sped up to 45 mph before jerking the car.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But in 1933, within a matter of days, they were jerked back into reality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk

Browse Nearby Words

write-ups
writhe
writhed
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All