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
All those weekends in the city, and the bliss of walking down Fifth Avenue with my hand in his, my little brother on the other side of him, the joy of being together, only to be disrupted by his tics, his violence, and left hoping for a better time next time.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
These tics quickly became running jokes, which made class fun: flexing their powers of discernment proved to be a form of entertainment.
—Piers Gelly
july 28, Literary Hub, 28 July 2025
Kennedy mentioned diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, seizure disorders, ADHD, speech delay, language delay, tics, Tourette syndrome, narcolepsy, peanut allergies and eczema.
—Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025
The musician has been open about dealing with mental health issues as well as Tourette’s, a disorder that causes difficult-to-control movements and sounds known as tics.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tic
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Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
These tics quickly became running jokes, which made class fun: flexing their powers of discernment proved to be a form of entertainment.
—Piers Gelly
july 28, Literary Hub, 28 July 2025
Kennedy mentioned diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, seizure disorders, ADHD, speech delay, language delay, tics, Tourette syndrome, narcolepsy, peanut allergies and eczema.
—Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025
The musician has been open about dealing with mental health issues as well as Tourette’s, a disorder that causes difficult-to-control movements and sounds known as tics.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 July 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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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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