as in shivers
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
a veteran performer who still gets a case of the nerves before performances
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in braces
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
needs to nerve himself for the big game tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nerves
Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 6 Sep. 2025
Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
The first debut seasons are often rushed and nerves can stifle the best of them.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
The season opener brings a bit of nerves to every player, but especially those seeing their first NFL regular-season action.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Cibrian runs lines with Rimes and calms his wife's nerves on the set.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite raw nerves from last week, officials from all sides were optimistic.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The vagus nerve is easily one of the most important nerves of the human body.
—Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Over time, high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage nerves, kidneys, eyes, feet, skin, and other organs.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 6 Sep. 2025
Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 5 Sep. 2025
The first debut seasons are often rushed and nerves can stifle the best of them.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
About eight or nine hours into a punishing shoot, nerves were fraying, and Mike McGuirk was getting chewed out by a camera operator.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
The season opener brings a bit of nerves to every player, but especially those seeing their first NFL regular-season action.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025
Cibrian runs lines with Rimes and calms his wife's nerves on the set.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite raw nerves from last week, officials from all sides were optimistic.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2025
The vagus nerve is easily one of the most important nerves of the human body.
—Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerves
Noun
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Hank is a Dallas Cowboys diehard; the idea of Bobby getting into the Premier League sends him into full-body shivers.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As Major League Baseball reportedly braces for its own salary cap, these risks only grow.—
Jesse Silvertown,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Vietnam braces for powerful storm The Vietnamese government expects Kajiki, the fifth tropical storm to hit the country this year, to be as powerful as Typhoon Yagi, which brushed Vietnam’s north last year—killing 300 people in the country and leaving more than $3 billion in damages in its wake.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Avoiding the below mistakes not only fortifies digital-first customer service strategies but will also reshape the controversial narrative around chatbots.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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The future Hall of Famer only fortifies the talented roster, and gives Houston an experienced star who has the championship hardware to prove it.—
Valentina Martinez,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerves. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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