1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech
"you know" is a verbal tic
Examples of tic in a Sentence
The verbal tic “you know” often occurs in her speech.
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
Recent Examples on the Web
The actors commit fully to every deranged tic they’re saddled with, so even long scenes of them wandering through the street, looking for people to terrorize, are gripping.
—
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
His work in that decade, especially the first three Carter albums and the mixtapes released between 2005’s Tha Carter II and 2008’s Tha Carter III, pulled an entire culture into orbit around his tics, his taste in production and vocal processing, even his most technically and formally daring music.
—Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
Around the time that his parents left, Christopher developed compulsive blinking and other tics that led the school to send him for psychiatric evaluation.
—John Leland, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025
The major difference is that tics are uncontrollable, while stimming is a self-soothing behavior that people often have more control over.3
What Causes Tics?
—Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tic
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Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
His work in that decade, especially the first three Carter albums and the mixtapes released between 2005’s Tha Carter II and 2008’s Tha Carter III, pulled an entire culture into orbit around his tics, his taste in production and vocal processing, even his most technically and formally daring music.
—Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
Around the time that his parents left, Christopher developed compulsive blinking and other tics that led the school to send him for psychiatric evaluation.
—John Leland, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025
The major difference is that tics are uncontrollable, while stimming is a self-soothing behavior that people often have more control over.3
What Causes Tics?
—Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tic
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tic
noun1
: a regularly repeated twitching movement of a particular muscle and especially one of the face
2
: a particular form of behavior or speech that is often repeated
"you know" is a verbal tic
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