wriggle

[ rig-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, wrig·gled, wrig·gling.

1. to twist to and fro; writhe; squirm.
2. to move along by twisting and turning the body, as a worm or snake.
3. to make one's way by shifts or expedients (often followed by out ):

   to wriggle out of a difficulty.

verb (used with object)

, wrig·gled, wrig·gling.

1. to cause to wriggle:

   to wriggle one's hips.

2. to bring, get, make, etc., by wriggling:

   to wriggle one's way through a narrow opening.

noun

1. act of wriggling; a wriggling movement.

wriggle

/ ˈrɪɡəl /

verb

1. to make or cause to make twisting movements
2. intr to progress by twisting and turning
3. intr; foll by into or out of to manoeuvre oneself by clever or devious means

   wriggle out of an embarrassing situation

noun

1. a wriggling movement or action
2. a sinuous marking or course

Derived Forms

• ˈwriggly, adjective
• ˈwriggler, noun

Other Words From

• wriggling·ly adverb
• outwriggle verb (used with object) outwriggled outwriggling
• un·wriggled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wriggle¹

1485–95; < Middle Low German wriggelen (cognate with Dutch wriggelen ), frequentative of *wriggen to twist, turn, akin to Old English wrīgian to twist; wry

Word History and Origins

Origin of wriggle¹

C15: from Middle Low German; compare Dutch wriggelen

Example Sentences

If, after mashing the head of a fallacy, he passes triumphantly on, he is apt to go back, and pound at the innocuous reptile while there is a wriggle of life left in the tail.

From Washington Post

Back then, there was a lot more wriggle room for marketers to make their case.

From Digiday

Like Nadler, Cohen—who is also Jewish—substituted “Jewish” for “gay” and watched Riggle wriggle.

From The Daily Beast

The Fishermen, like thieves, shake out their silver,/ the lithe knives wriggle on the drying sand.

From The Daily Beast

The question is whether Netanyahu believes that he can wriggle his way out of serious peace negotiations once again.

From The Daily Beast

To wriggle your way into private sessions with top industry execs?

From The Daily Beast

And most of us felt compelled to find a witty repartee while trying to wriggle out of his clutches.

From The Daily Beast

He could not wriggle a toe, which made his mental processes difficult, for his toes were first aids to his brain.

From Project Gutenberg

His mind worked more freely when his toes were unconfined, so that he might wriggle them as he reasoned.

From Project Gutenberg

Scattergood was thinking, and to think, with him, meant so to unfetter his feet that he could wriggle his toes pleasurably.

From Project Gutenberg

Another wriggle took him past the back, but it also gave Clowes time to catch him up.

From Project Gutenberg

With a convulsive wriggle of its tail it darted away in a panic.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crawl
• sneak
• squirm
• zigzag