twitch

1 of 2

verb

twitched; twitching; twitches
Synonyms of twitchnext

intransitive verb

1
: to move jerkily : quiver
2
: to undergo a brief spasmodic muscular contraction
his hand twitched
3
: pull, pluck
twitched at my sleeve

transitive verb

: to move or pull with a sudden motion : jerk
twitcher noun

twitcher

2 of 2

noun

twitch·​er
-chə(r)
plural -s
: one that twitches

Examples of twitch in a Sentence

Verb Her mouth was twitching as she began to cry. The rabbit twitched its ears.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
The Buena Vista Social Club features feet-twitching music and Wolf says that, obviously, people want to get up and dance but that’s just not allowed. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 June 2026 Many a club’s board would have twitched in the face of the bare data, but the chain of command above Arteta stayed the course, and the FOMO is so high that tickets for Palace away this weekend are going for £45,000 ($60,000) on resale sites. Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2026 It’s not made explicitly clear if these seemingly sympathetic kids are actually his worst bullies, but Machado-Graner’s eyes, lip twitch, and throat gulp in this short sequence tell a whole story in themselves. Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 20 May 2026 My jaw twitched uncontrollably. Literary Hub, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for twitch

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English twicchen; akin to Old English twiccian to pluck, Old High German gizwickan to pinch

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of twitch was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Twitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twitch. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

twitch

1 of 2 verb
1
: to move or pull with a sudden motion : jerk
2
3
: to undergo a brief muscular contraction
his hand twitched

twitch

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act of twitching
2
a
: a brief contraction of muscle fibers
b
: a slight jerk of a body part
twitchy
adjective

Medical Definition

twitch

1 of 3 intransitive verb
: to undergo a brief spasmodic muscular contraction
the muscle twitched

twitch

2 of 3 noun
: a brief spasmodic contraction of muscle fibers
also : a slight jerk of a body part caused by such a contraction

twitch

3 of 3 noun

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