charley horse

Definition of charley horsenext
as in cramp
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle had to stop and rest because of a charley horse in his leg

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of charley horse Ray soon bonds with Pete (David Jonsson), but the stakes become crystal clear when the first walker falls: A boy who develops a charley horse and is summarily shot for sitting down. ArsTechnica, 1 Jan. 2026 Another boy, who cheerily introduces himself as Curly, succumbs to the pain of a charley horse that as appeared in less than a mile of walking — after receiving his three warnings, he is coldly shot down by The Long Walk soldiers that follow closely behind. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 July 2025 Of course, our new life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies and charley horses. Danielle Kraese, New Yorker, 24 July 2025 After walking Jung Hoo Lee on five pitches to lead off the seventh, Gore left the game alongside a trainer in the middle of a plate appearance against Matt Chapman due to a charley horse in his left leg. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 May 2025 Leg cramps, sometimes called charley horses, are sudden, involuntary muscle contractions that cause intense shooting pain that lasts seconds to minutes. Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 31 Oct. 2024 More commonly known as a charley horse, a nighttime leg cramp is when the muscles in a leg quickly tighten up. Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2024 This is different than the last time, when the guy has the charley horse. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2023 David Della-Giustina, MD, an emergency medicine doctor and professor of emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine, says those heat cramps feel like a muscle spasm, or what's known as a charley horse. Leah Groth, Health.com, 17 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charley horse
Noun
  • The agency added that symptoms typically develop within 12 to 72 hours after infection and may include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.
    Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 14 June 2026
  • Instead of pairing it with whiskey, people are now turning to the brine as part of their wellness routines for hydration, preventing muscle cramps, improving gut health, and even lowering those cortisol levels.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • His wife, Alicia Brown, posted a video on her verified Instagram page Sunday where she is seen crying while revealing what appears to be multiple stitches above and below her left eyebrow.
    Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 12 June 2026
  • The other man stabbed in the neck complained that the wound, which required three stitches, affected his ability to swallow and eat, prosecutors said.
    Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Charley horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charley%20horse. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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