as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
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Recent Examples of tic
Dupree has Tourette Syndrome, and her symptoms include vocal tics and profane outbursts as a result of coprolalia.
—
William Earl, Variety, 17 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tic
William Earl, Variety, 17 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tic
Noun
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Clean sheets appeared on the bed as if by magic, a trick many high-end hotels have forgotten.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The brand recommends laying the topper flat to expand for several hours after removing it from the packaging, but shoppers note that fluffing it in the dryer before use also does the trick.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The humor was coming from the characters and their traits.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
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Players can maximize the traits of their gear by activating certain mutations.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Justice Department earlier this month published a list of the nine characteristics of sanctuary jurisdictions.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
16 Aug. 2025
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Can’t a mother have characteristics outside of that culturally narrowed scope?—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And some of Anna's mannerisms when trying to calm herself in stressful situations should be recognizable to many parent viewers.—
Katie Grant,
Parents,
7 Aug. 2025
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Informed of the milestone, which ranked him No. 25 among all genres of live performers — just below Dua Lipa — Maniscalco responded with his usual offstage reserve, a 180-degree departure from the outsized physicality and mannerisms of his performances.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
Billboard,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Rumors and policy noise—tariffs, sanctions, import quirks—can distort spreads between futures and spot before cooler heads correct the tape.—
Bob Haber,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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But there do seem to be some quirks of this particular deadline that might be slowing the pace.—
Chad Jennings,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Noun
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In another one of those idiosyncrasies of Illinois government, the state does not have a vehicle to prevent insurance rate hikes.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Aug. 2025
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Technical perfection isn't everything, so don't ignore your idiosyncrasies.—
Luke Larsen,
Wired News,
15 June 2025
Noun
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The eccentricity refers to how noncircular an orbit is.—
Darryl Z. Seligman,
The Conversation,
3 July 2025
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The play draws out the distinctiveness of the grandparents by ratcheting up their zingy eccentricities.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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When leaders foster a culture that encourages these habits, employees can be more present, productive and effective.—
John Abusaid,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Other things like inadequate sleep and unhealthy lifestyle habits can exacerbate feelings of tiredness, reducing resilience and increasing the risk of burnout.—
Nancy Pulciano,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tic. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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