wiggle room

American  

noun

1. room to maneuver; latitude.

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wiggle room British  

noun

1. informal scope for freedom of action or thought

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Etymology

Origin of wiggle room

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Cooking one more night a week could result in you having a bit more wiggle room in your “fun” budget.

From MarketWatch

The reasoning: Rising gross margins often show a company has pricing power with its customers, but it also gives a company wiggle room to boost its operating margin as long as other costs don’t balloon.

From Barron's

This may be an indication that dealers are leaving wiggle room to tack on undisclosed add-on charges.

From MarketWatch

Meanwhile, lower-income households typically have tax bills that are already very low, leaving less wiggle room to reduce what they owe through deductions, the BofA analysts note.

From Barron's

The one area with wiggle room is eating, typically her biggest area of discretionary spending.

From The Wall Street Journal