squirm

squirm in

1. To crawl, wriggle, or squeeze into some tight or confined thing or space. The dog likes to jump up onto the bed and squirm in between me and my wife at night. These pants are too small for me now—I managed to squirm in, but there's no way I'll be able to zip them up.
2. To wriggle or fidget while seated in something, as due to nervousness or boredom. Stop squirming in your chair like that, it's really distracting! He squirmed in his seat throughout the entire interview.
See also: squirm

squirm into (something)

To crawl, wriggle, or squeeze into some tight or confined thing or space. The dog likes to squirm into bed with me and my wife at night. I can squirm into the pants, but there's no way I'll be able to zip them up.
See also: squirm

squirm out (of something)

1. To crawl, wriggle, or squeeze to become freed from some narrow cramped, or confined place or thing. My daughter squirmed out of my arms when I tried to brush her hair. Once the cat saw that I wasn't going to hurt it, it squirmed out of its hiding place and crept toward me.
2. To disentangle oneself from some situation, duty, or responsibility, especially through sly, devious, or You've squirmed your way out of doing the dishes for the last time! Sally always finds some way to squirm out of any trouble she gets herself into.
3. To disentangle oneself from some situation, duty, or responsibility, especially through sly, devious, or cunning means. You've squirmed out of doing the dishes for the last time! Sally always finds some way to squirm out of any trouble she gets herself into. I told you that the whole company has to be there to do the inventory count—you're not squirming out this time!
See also: out, squirm

squirm with (something)

To wriggle or fidget as a result of something. I was squirming with the urgent need to go to the bathroom, not impatience! He sat squirmed with frustration throughout the entire presentation.
See also: squirm
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

squirm in(to something)

to press into something that is tight; to crawl or wiggle into something tight. (For people, this is often clothing that is too tight. For other creatures, it is more variable.) Dave squirmed into his jeans and pledged to himself that he would lose some weight. He squirmed in and knew he could never close the zipper.
See also: squirm

squirm out

 (of something)
1. Lit. to crawl or wiggle out of something. The worm squirmed out of its hole and was gobbled up by a bird. The worm squirmed out.
2. Fig. to escape doing something; to escape the responsibility for having done something. He agreed to go but squirmed out at the last minute. You did it and you can't squirm out of it by denying it!
See also: out, squirm

squirm with something

to fidget or move around restlessly, showing irritation of some type. The children squirmed with impatience, but they kept quiet. I squirmed with discomfort, hoping that the time on the aircraft would pass rapidly.
See also: squirm
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

squirm out

v.
1. To extricate oneself by sly or subtle means from some situation; worm one's way out of some situation: She squirmed out of the promise she'd made without upsetting anyone. He was supposed to wash the dishes tonight, but somehow he squirmed out.
2. To free oneself from something by turning, twisting, or writhing the body: The fish squirmed out of my grasp. I put the snake in a bag, but it squirmed out.
See also: out, squirm
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • squirm in
  • squirm into (something)
  • worm into
  • worm into (something or some place)
  • worm out of (something or some place)
  • squirm out
  • squirm out (of something)
  • squeeze into
  • squeeze into (something)
  • wriggle
References in periodicals archive
Siebenhandl denied Schone's meek effort low to his left but the ball squirmed back out for the 32-year-old to tuck home at the second attempt.
Ajax clash isn't Daley occurrence; ROUND-UP
Prepare to cringe, squirm and die of embarrassment, all the way through the 2012 Olympics.
Embarrassing song; emails & letters
When a walnut stock squirms, both accuracy and the rifle's point of impact can be affected, and this was the inspiration for the synthetic stock so common today.
Strength, stability and beauty: the innovative Serengeti gunstock
Let someone else squirm or lie as they explain to Grandma and to our young nieces and nephews why our chairs sit empty.
Pride and Thanksgiving
But new robots, designed to squirm through rubble, or crawl through boreholes, or clamber over obstacles on legs, could someday go into mines quickly ahead of rescuers....
Better robots could help save disaster victims
I have to admit I took some delight last fall in watching CNN's Anderson Cooper squirm a bit--choosing his words ever so carefully so as not to condemn his media colleagues (and bosses)--when Realtime's Bill Maher asked if all the hair-flailing, hip-booted media coverage of Katrina might mean "we got our press corps back."
The spotlight moves on
There's a kind of kitschy grotesqueness to some aspects of the Emidio cult that frankly makes me squirm. But there are other aspects that strike me as entirely commendable.
To the heart of the Catholic universe
"With smooth stocks," explains Jerry, "If the initial grip isn't right during the draw I can squirm the gun into my hand as it's coming up.
Smooth = squirm
Where Tacitus draws a curtain of discretion over the baser acts of his subjects, Suetonius unstintingly describes perversities that would make even some modern pornographers squirm with unease.
For the serious student
The equipment donated ranges from vibrating hairbrushes and teethers, Wiggles the Squirm to a Magic Mushroom full of colourful flashing lights.
Helping hand for charity
He summed it up best when (the first time he took the Eucharist) he said, "Katie has Jesus; Mommy, you have a lot of Jesus; and now I have Jesus." Until we adult Catholics re-examine the Eucharist for children, children will always squirm. Why be excited about attending church when you cannot fully participate?
Kids want to be fed, too
Sometimes the results make you squirm, as when the awkward, wildly inappropriate Borat talks about sex and flatulence at a Sons of the American Revolution dinner, punishing his affable hosts for their hospitality.
Studied stupidity: respect to do ali G show. (Culture & Review)
The next section presents examples of situational role plays that can make student teachers "squirm" with discomfort (situations that have many solutions, that can have disastrous outcomes if participants are not careful, and that can help participants make connections between theories of classroom management they have read about and discussed in class).
Using Social Inquiry Strategies To Enhance Teacher Candidate Dispositions
With just four minutes on the clock, Damien Duff's powder-puff shot was allowed to squirm through the goalie's arms and immediately put the Hammers on the back foot.
Football: YOU'RE NOT David James
Why did the lantern over the altar have to be a squirm? Why on earth are the internal porches curved lean-tos, in contradiction to the calm geometry?
In the wilderness: a very small building brings a sense of place, humanity and gentleness to the harsh and absurd urban landscapes of Vienna's business satellite