squiggle

verb

ˈskwi-gəl How to pronounce squiggle (audio)
Definition of squigglenext
1
as in to twitch
to make jerky or restless movements a pediatrician's waiting room full of squiggling toddlers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scribble
to write or draw hastily or carelessly there are some illegible notes squiggled in the margins of the old book

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of squiggle The salamanders are still squiggling commas inside them. — Nathan Rott, NPR, 27 May 2026 The cake is gingery, light and moist, squiggled with thick cream cheese frosting. — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 15 Sep. 2025 The six dancers in bright blues and greens (a seventh, originally Brown, appears at the beginning and the end) ripple and squiggle through space, intersecting and occasionally aligning, ricocheting and weaving. — Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times, 1 May 2025 Breaking water in the morning and shoulders squiggling free in the dark of evening. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for squiggle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for squiggle
  1. twitch
  2. scribble
  3. fidget
  4. scrawl
  5. toss
  6. squirm
  7. jerk
  8. wiggle
Verb
  • Just then, Chee Meng’s fishing rod twitched, and the line began to run out.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Jonas even gave his number to Hadid’s mother, scribbled on a piece of paper.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The messages, scribbled on whatever scrap of paper a sender could find, often featured misspellings and shaky penmanship; many older residents of rural areas did not know how to read or write well, if at all.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of scribble
Verb
  • Following this concern, 55% of parents said their top concern was their child’s ability to complete multistep tasks such as homework while 45% of parents cited fidgeting.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The current boom is driven by Gen Z’s openness about mental health, social-commerce virality on TikTok and Etsy, and a broader nervous-system regulation movement that treats fidgeting as a legitimate coping tool rather than a bad habit.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fidget
Verb
  • Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and xAI’s Elon Musk scrawled their names in erratic cursive.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The show is arranged in eight parts and begins with a large white wall at the entrance with the title of the show scrawled in RM’s handwriting.
    — Christine Terrisse, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrawl
Verb
  • Mensah tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Toney in the second overtime.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • However, Marshall tossed a critical interception with KU driving in the fourth quarter; he was picked off in the end zone.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of toss
Verb
  • Erling Haaland headed City level in the second half, but Jackson got his second and the winner with a first-time finish that squirmed under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the back, tanks bubbled with live lobsters while crawfish squirmed in boxes nearby.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of squirm
Verb
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drivers should never swerve or jerk the steering wheel, the state patrol said.
    — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • But your antennae should wiggle if a refinancing offer seems too good to be true.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As a woman waded through the waters around the Bridge Side Marina in Bridge Isle, Louisiana, the tiny canine with a fluffy white coat wiggled his forelegs as if swimming, video of the cute moment shows.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of wiggle

Browse Nearby Words

squiffed
squiggle
squiggled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squiggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/squiggle. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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