WRITHING Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

writhing 1 of 2

noun

as in twitching

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

writhing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of writhe

as in weaving

to cause to twine about one another tends to writhe his fingers together when he's nervous or upset

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in squirming

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 writhing

Noun

Throughout the writhing and the screaming, Julia’s fortitude wears down a defiant Davina, whose history with Lovat feeds the moment. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025

Verb

The man with almost no injury was writhing in agony, while the man with a four-inch nail lodged near his brain kept working for six days, not even realizing the nail was there. — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Once Turek has finished writhing about on the floor in a shambolic attempt to gather, Czibor is on hand to whip the ball away and tuck it home from six yards, the simplest of tasks. — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Henderson, 36, spent the match on the bench in England's 3-2 win, but quickly drew attention after falling over an advertising board, leaving him writhing in pain during a moment of victory for England. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2026 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 Adams, for one, spent a fair portion of the first half on the grass, writhing in pain. — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for writhing

Noun

Casting near banks and using a twitching technique can increase success during the hatch.

— Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
During this phase, octopuses display visible twitching along with rapid changes in skin color and texture, per NPR.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026

Definition of twitching

Verb

With the contact patch sliding and squirming, the brakes had less to work with—and the car took just enough extra distance to end in an impact.

— Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Unless your companion could use a hand or is traveling with young kids (in the latter case, if this person also happens to be your spouse or partner, really not cool to leave them with the stroller, diaper bag, squirming kids).

— CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Definition of squirming

Verb

The system shudders a bit and then gets back to normal, like a person stubbing a toe or twisting an ankle faces discomfort and difficulty walking for a while.

— Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Beyond the town’s artistic offerings, Brown County State Park, Indiana’s largest and an easy day trip from Indianapolis, draws visitors with more than 90 miles of hiking and biking trails twisting through blazing forests.

— Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of twisting

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 fidgeting

Noun

Her fiddling is a looser, freer, more accessible type of memorialization—less a notation than an invocation, a summoning of her homeland’s spirit.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Colorado’s lone goal was a result of some Matt Wells tactical fiddling — and Keegan Rosenberry playing like his job’s on the line — gone right.

— Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026

Definition of fiddling

Verb

And because nobody washed the dishes before tossing them into the feasting pit, King and his colleagues (in a 2017 study) could analyze the microscopic residue of ancient drinks that had soaked into the ceramic.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Timid personal injury lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) scrapes by on quick, low-stakes payouts, Acme tossing his clients a couple hundred bucks for their fast-healing wounds.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of tossing

Browse Nearby Words

writhes

writhing

writing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Writhing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/writhing. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of writhing

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes