charley horse

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 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 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 This is different than the last time, when the guy has the charley horse. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2023 Campbell said Aidan Hutchinson suffered a charley horse in his three-sack game Sunday and should be good to go for this week's game against the Vikings. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 20 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charley horse
Noun
  • Patients may also experience stomach cramps and vomiting.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
  • The bacteria can cause gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • When police arrived at the scene in the early hours of Friday morning, the defendant — who officials said had three cuts on his arm that needed stitches — allegedly claimed Jacob had attacked him with a knife, according to NBC 4 New York.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The clip, which left viewers in stitches, shows Louie dramatically holding his paw in the air before a cut to a vet visit.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Charley horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charley%20horse. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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