the jitters
plural noun
informal
: a very nervous feeling
I always get (a bad case of) the jitters before I have to give a speech.
Examples of the jitters in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven Spielberg has the jitters.
—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Investors in Blackstone’s flagship private credit fund sought to yank 10% of their money this quarter, showing that the jitters engulfing the industry may be deepening.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
But the jitters do not go away.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Let’s start leaning on those guys, get the jitters out, relax.
—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026
Setting the tone for policy guidance is right within the chair's wheelhouse, and Warsh could try to diminish market expectations that the Fed is going to crank up asset purchases when Wall Street starts to get the jitters.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Stewart, who has Tennessee Medicaid, said Bowens shepherded her through the jitters of early pregnancy with her twin sons, blood pressure issues during delivery, a C-section and baby blues after birth.
—
Laura Ungar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
By Friday, the jitters had spread — with private credit worries, a hotter-than-expected inflation print, and Middle East fears pushing the S&P 500 to its worst month since March.
—
Lu Wang,
Bloomberg,
27 Feb. 2026
The Islamic Republic has the jitters.
—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Investors in Blackstone’s flagship private credit fund sought to yank 10% of their money this quarter, showing that the jitters engulfing the industry may be deepening.
—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
But the jitters do not go away.
—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Let’s start leaning on those guys, get the jitters out, relax.
—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026
Setting the tone for policy guidance is right within the chair's wheelhouse, and Warsh could try to diminish market expectations that the Fed is going to crank up asset purchases when Wall Street starts to get the jitters.
—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
Stewart, who has Tennessee Medicaid, said Bowens shepherded her through the jitters of early pregnancy with her twin sons, blood pressure issues during delivery, a C-section and baby blues after birth.
—
Laura Ungar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
By Friday, the jitters had spread — with private credit worries, a hotter-than-expected inflation print, and Middle East fears pushing the S&P 500 to its worst month since March.
—
Lu Wang,
Bloomberg,
27 Feb. 2026
The Islamic Republic has the jitters.
—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“The jitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20jitters. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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