convulse

Synonym Chooser

How is the word convulse different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of convulse are agitate, rock, and shake. While all these words mean "to move up and down or to and fro with some violence," convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

In what contexts can agitate take the place of convulse?

The synonyms agitate and convulse are sometimes interchangeable, but agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

When could rock be used to replace convulse?

In some situations, the words rock and convulse are roughly equivalent. However, rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

Where would shake be a reasonable alternative to convulse?

While the synonyms shake and convulse are close in meaning, shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

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 convulse One of the 50 boys starts convulsing on the road, and as Jonsson and Hoffman’s characters walk backwards to see what happens, soldiers have their guns trained on his twitching body before a gunshot rings out. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 25 July 2025 First elevating an early-career U.S. Geological Survey researcher, Felisa Wolfe-Simon, to acclaim, then to controversy, the study convulsed the scientific community for two years, raising questions over how science is both conducted and publicized. Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 24 July 2025 Bangkok has since been convulsed by protests against her government, and a legal petition has demanded her resignation. Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 1 July 2025 Agents pile on a protester, who convulses and struggles to breathe. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for convulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulse
Verb
  • After 30 minutes or so, pause the machine, remove the comforter, and shake it out before adding it back to the drum, continuing the process until the bedding is fully dry.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The earthquake shook at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter approximately 10 miles south of Trona.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.
    Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Walking into Lincoln with a freshman quarterback and a fill-in head coach is the kind of situation that would make most teams shudder.
    Austin Meek, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Designer Joe Nahem of the esteemed firm Fox-Nahem was then brought in to merge the two spaces into one wildly creative space that vibrates with color, pattern, and texture.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Each of the three biographies—any good biography—vibrates with the intensity of its author’s possession by their subject and the thrill of exhumation, if only metaphoric.
    Megan Marshall September 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He, too, was bowled over by the film's tear-jerking finale.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
    Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the elevator of the Associated Press Building at Rockefeller Plaza, Sunny’s brows trembled.
    Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
  • But then the cheers from his fans would begin, and Hogan would tremble with energy.
    John DeVore, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
  • There’s a breathless mood in the air that quivers and quakes at the protests to come.
    Sara Stridsberg September 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Convulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulse. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on convulse

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