1
: an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation
a spasm of creativity
spasms of pain
spasm
intransitive verb
Examples of spasm in a Sentence
a disease that causes muscle spasms
He was racked with coughing spasms.
She was suffering spasms of guilt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sale stayed healthy last season until back spasms forced him to miss his final regular-season start and also kept him off the postseason roster for the wild-card series at San Diego, where the Braves were swept in two games.
—
David O'Brien, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Such spasm of small blood vessels in the brain can also result in cognitive issues related to repairing and stabilizing such blood vessel abnormalities, whether by traditional opening of the skull (craniotomy) or even novel endovascular neurosurgical approaches.
—Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Kreider dealt with back spasms, vertigo, a broken hand and other maladies in a down year last season, but had been coming off three of the best campaigns of his career.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 June 2025
At the same time, the United States has also gone through periodic spasms of intense anti-immigrant feeling.
—Viet Thanh Nguyễn, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
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David O'Brien, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Such spasm of small blood vessels in the brain can also result in cognitive issues related to repairing and stabilizing such blood vessel abnormalities, whether by traditional opening of the skull (craniotomy) or even novel endovascular neurosurgical approaches.
—Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Kreider dealt with back spasms, vertigo, a broken hand and other maladies in a down year last season, but had been coming off three of the best campaigns of his career.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 19 June 2025
At the same time, the United States has also gone through periodic spasms of intense anti-immigrant feeling.
—Viet Thanh Nguyễn, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
Cite this Entry
“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spasm. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spasm
noun1
: a sudden uncontrolled contracting of muscles
back spasms
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or outburst
a spasm of creativity
spasm
verb
Medical Definition
spasm
noun1
: an involuntary and abnormal contraction of muscle or muscle fibers or of a hollow organ (as an artery, the colon, or the esophagus) that consists largely of involuntary muscle fibers
2
: the state or condition of a muscle or organ affected with spasms
the renal artery went into spasm
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