as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
convulsing with silent laughter as the inept pianist blithely played on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
His long gray beard flows in convulsing waves to his shoulders.
—
Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Three times in the modern era, the world has been convulsed by fights over the supercontinent and the waters around it.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
But Danielle was literally convulsing on the floor as you were banished.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2025
In the 1910s, as Russia was being convulsed by the Bolsheviks, Hollywood was turning out the earliest classics by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, and John Ford.
—Peter Tonguette, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulse
Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025
Three times in the modern era, the world has been convulsed by fights over the supercontinent and the waters around it.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
But Danielle was literally convulsing on the floor as you were banished.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 21 Feb. 2025
In the 1910s, as Russia was being convulsed by the Bolsheviks, Hollywood was turning out the earliest classics by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, and John Ford.
—Peter Tonguette, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulse
Verb
-
In 2023, Turkey experienced one of the world's most deadly quakes, a 7.8 magnitude event that shook southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing more than 55,000 people.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
On Tuesday, not so much, the Lakers showing their clear dominance in every area backed by a legendarily springtime loud home crowd that annually shakes, rattles and rolls.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Old Thunderbird shuddered under the force of the impact and then fell over onto his side.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Brides-to-be who lived through the early aughts may understandably shudder at the thought.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Why could not the engineers simply have made the device vibrate and/or light up when locking the door?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2025
-
As news that Williams had been apprehended spread, Dahl’s phone started vibrating with texts from friends.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
As soon as Tatiana Pino turned her dark blue Land Rover Defender into her long asphalt driveway, the flatbed truck jerked into reverse and slammed into the passenger side of her SUV, according to footage of the Aug. 30, 2023, hit-and-run obtained by the Herald.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2025
-
This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Siba raced back inside and dropped to the ground, her entire body trembling.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Even some spineless Republicans in Congress—who should be carrying President Trump's flag—are trembling instead of cheering his fight for America's soul.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The journalist raised her hand, and her voice quivered in seeming alarm as the 6.2-magnitude quake shook Istanbul shortly before 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday, April 23.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Five minutes before the show was to start, nine rows of bleachers in a temporary grandstand, hastily assembled, quivered and crashed, swallowing about 600 men, women and children.—
Mike Klingaman,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Convulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulse. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share