writhe

verb

ˈrīt͟h How to pronounce writhe (audio)
Definition of writhenext
1
as in to weave
to cause to twine about one another tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squirm
to make jerky or restless movements writhing in pain from his injuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 writhe There was no diving here; no, this was earnest, earned writhing on the grass — medically justified. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 26 June 2026 Surrounded by her family, Sybil’s body goes limp after several intense minutes of writhing in pain on the bed. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 In the opening minutes, a crunching collision in front of the goal between Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand left Beiranvand writhing on the grass for several minutes, holding his face. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 June 2026 The process involves a writhing dance that looks a lot like the dance that male and female sunfish perform with each other prior to breeding. — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for writhe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhe
  1. weave
  2. squirm
  3. twist
  4. twitch
  5. entwine
  6. fidget
  7. toss
  8. jerk
Verb
  • Video from the incident showed the car smashing into vehicles while weaving through traffic as it was followed by several troopers heading toward Milton.
    — Mike Toole, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The craftsmanship continues upstairs, where jamdani fabrics and wallpapers in the primary bedroom celebrate the ancient Bengal art of weaving fine diaphanous textiles, embodying the showroom’s dedication to materiality, artistry, and the human hand.
    — AD PRO, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of weave
Verb
  • Where Raphael’s infant Christ is plump, acquiescent, docile, Cassatt’s children squirm, resist, and ignore authority.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Its defenders will have to do better than making Infantino squirm.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of squirm
Verb
  • Everyone has a plan, sure, and sometimes an ironclad belief in their motivations for that plan, but something always twists itself into a messy little knot in the execution.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • On bars – her weakest event – Jade Carey fought through a late pirouette to nearly nail her full-twisting double layout dismount.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of twist
Verb
  • The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • The consequences aren’t just ecological; trout fishing is closely entwined with the economy in many Rocky Mountain communities.
    — Matthew Brown, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The allegations became entwined with the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza, with Khan’s supporters arguing that the warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were at stake.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of entwine
Verb
  • At about 45 minutes in, guests were looking at their phones and fidgeting in their seats.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 July 2026
  • A lot of those people have Victoria Baumann and Charlie Moreton to thank, the father-daughter duo behind Victoria Essie Studio that produces fidget toys and other knickknacks out of their homes in North Carolina.
    — Jennifer Liu Valentina Duarte, CNBC, 14 June 2026
Definition of fidget
Verb
  • The slab was too heavy to toss aside, and Osorio was worried there could be more people trapped underneath.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor Walls homered from both sides of the plate for the second time in his career, Nick Martinez tossed a complete game and the Tampa Bay Rays won their eighth straight game, 12-4 over the Athletics on Tuesday night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of toss
Verb
  • Stuttering lines, on the left, jerking up and down, denote the rattle of guns; on the right, the lines are all but flat, as silence descends.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Logan Howlett, got a tear-jerking send-off in James Mangold’s Logan.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026
Definition of jerk

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Cite this Entry

“Writhe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhe. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of writhe for Spanish Speakers

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