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 from their bites include muscle cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and more.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Each knife has an ergonomic grip to minimize cramps—especially valuable in long sessions of prepping mirepoix for your favorite fall soup recipe.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of cramps
Noun
  • The blow caused a minor skull fracture and a gash that required three stitches to close.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The ball was also autographed by Happ, who left a third message between the red stitches.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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