charley horses

noun

plural of charley horse
as in cramps
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for charley horses
  1. cramps
  2. stitches
Noun
  • Symptoms of foodborne illness may include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, and dehydration.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Leg cramps also forced him out of two outings earlier in the season.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of cramps
Noun
  • Another worker accidentally sliced his arm while moving a heavy interlocker machine, requiring 13 stitches.
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Hedren had also suffered two fractures, skin grafts and gangrene when she was thrown by an elephant and needed 38 stitches after she was bitten on the back of her head by a lion.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of stitches
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.

Browse Nearby Words

charley horse
charley horses
charlie
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Cite this Entry

“Charley horses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charley%20horses. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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