verb

wriggle

RIH-guhl

Wriggle (verb) means to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm. Example: “The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off.”

verb

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."

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

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The puppy _____ out of her arms and ran off.

Etymology

From wrig + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare Dutch wriggelen (“to wriggle, squirm”), Low German wriggeln (“to wriggle”). Related to Old English wrigian (“to turn, wend, hie, go move”), from Proto-Germanic *wrigōną (“to wriggle”).

Synonyms

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twist worm wrestle writhe squirm

Related words

made form turn woman wind device struggle rick

Rhymes for wriggle

giggle wiggle jiggle Diggle

See all rhymes for wriggle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “wriggle” mean?

The word “wriggle” means to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm. In plain terms, to twist and squirm, or to cleverly avoid a duty or blame.

How do you pronounce “wriggle”?

“Wriggle” is pronounced RIH-guhl (/ˈɹɪɡəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “wriggle” in a sentence?

Here is “wriggle” used in a sentence: “The puppy wriggled out of her arms and ran off.”

What part of speech is “wriggle”?

“Wriggle” is a verb.

How many meanings does “wriggle” have?

“Wriggle” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to twist and turn the body with quick, small movements; to squirm.

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