wriggle

[rig-uhl]

verb (used without object)

wriggled, wriggling 

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 byout ).

   to wriggle out of a difficulty.

verb (used with object)

wriggled, wriggling 

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

Other Word Forms

• wrigglingly adverb
• outwriggle verb (used with object)
• unwriggled adjective
• wriggler noun
• wriggly 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

“He doesn’t know he was in a movie,” said Leonberg, clasping a happily wriggling Indy, who doesn’t register me on the other end of the Zoom interview.

From Salon

Matthew Umhofer, an attorney representing the Alliance, said the city paid big money to Gibson Dunn in a failed attempt to wriggle out of its legal obligations.

From Los Angeles Times

In every instance, Hank and Peggy, but mainly Hank, wriggle in their discomfort before settling into a kind of peace with whatever occurs.

From Salon

Moving on to sleep - the NHS recommends seven to nine hours a night for the average adult, and there's not much wriggle room to be had there.

From BBC

Until we wriggle free, all we can do is document.

From Salon

Related Words

• crawl 
• sneak 
• squirm 
• zigzag