wiggle room

noun

Synonyms of wiggle roomnext
: leeway, latitude
a contract with wiggle room for further negotiations

Examples of wiggle room in a Sentence

The salesman has some wiggle room to reduce the price of the car. the language of the contract is vague and leaves too much wiggle room
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then look at your party budget and see if there’s any wiggle room. R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 That’s hardly any wiggle room, and the team has to fill at least one roster spot in free agency – perhaps two. Tony East, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Lead with calm certainty, and give yourself wiggle room while momentum builds. Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026 That also puts Charlotte roughly $45 million below the tax line, providing plenty of wiggle room to take on contracts. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wiggle room

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiggle room was in 1965

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wiggle room.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiggle%20room. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster