English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
verb

wriggle

RIH-guhl
verb
1
To twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm.
"The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off."
"He wriggled his toes in the warm sand."
2
To use clever or evasive means to escape a difficult situation.
"She tried to wriggle out of paying the fine."

How to Use Wriggle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo twist and squirm, or to cleverly avoid a duty or blame.

Common pairings
wriggle free wriggle out of something

Word Forms

wriggled past tense, wriggles plural, wriggles singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “wriggle” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The puppy _____ out of her arms and ran off.

Rhymes for wriggle

See all rhymes for wriggle →
Definitions: FreeDict original editorial