wriggle

American  

[rig-uhl] / ˈrɪg əl /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a wriggling movement or action

2. a sinuous marking or course

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of wriggle

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

Example Sentences

A sliver of doubt wriggles around in my brain, cramming itself next to my wedge of loyalty.

From Literature

The rats wriggled back into the trash heap and disappeared.

From Literature

He could manipulate the ball and wriggle out of tight areas.

From BBC

I wriggled it from my finger and laid it on the desk along with my wallet and paper guilders.

From Literature

Rolling off the bed in a silicon sleep cocoon, Grace gradually evolves from a wriggling larval stage into a fully upright, walking and talking smarty-pants.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crawl
• sneak
• squirm
• zigzag