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Definition of "writhe" []

  • To twist, as in pain, struggle, or embarrassment. (verb-intransitive)
  • To move with a twisting or contorted motion. (verb-intransitive)
  • To suffer acutely. (verb-intransitive)
  • To cause to twist or squirm; contort. (verb-transitive)
  • The act or an instance of writhing; a contortion. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "writhe" in a sentence
  • "With a thin writhe of a smile, Collins investigated the insides of her clenched hands to make sure that the hooks were connected."
  • "The maggots, starved for oxygen, writhe and jump in the bag, creating a "pitter-patter" sound."
  • "In studying a 13th-century scroll where nine scaly dragons writhe through a sepia mist, Mr. Li focused on a spot near the center where the brume twists into a spiral."