Did you know?
There’s a glitch in the etymology of glitch—it may come from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning “slippery place,” but that’s not certain. Print use of glitch referring to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current dates to the mid-20th century. Astronaut John Glenn, in his 1962 book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: “Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it.” Today, the word can be used of any minor malfunction or snag. If you’re a gamer you might even take advantage of a glitch that causes something unexpected, and sometimes beneficial, to happen in the game.
Examples of glitch in a Sentence
Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Blanton’s improvisational leanings wrench this aesthetic away from the realm of the programmatic, allowing his tracks to warp on a dime and filling them with plentiful rewinds, glitches, and abstract codas.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
In reality, Patel’s email access was restricted due to a fairly routine technical glitch that was quickly rectified.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
About 90% of my daily stress stems from my sensory icks, those minor environmental glitches that make your skin crawl.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for glitch
Cite this Entry
“Glitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glitch. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glitch
noun
