wriggle
verb (used without object)
to twist to and fro; writhe; squirm.
wriggled
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past participleof wriggle.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof wriggle.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
wriggleverb (used without object)to twist to and fro; writhe; squirm.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Forty years ago in February, Jackson wriggled free of her father Joe Jackson’s stifling management with the release of “Control.”
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
Servin remembered her daughter as a bubbly toddler with piercing blue eyes who wriggled with delight at the sight of Elmo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
James Justin wriggled free inside the Forest area and when his shot was saved by Ortega, he had the presence of mind to square the rebound to Okafor, who slotted home from 10 yards.
From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026
She said she slipped his grip, wriggled free and got away.”
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2025
They grew amazingly fast—so fast that their skin split open every few days and they wriggled out of it—“just as a person,” she noted, “pulls off a shirt over his head.”
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
