1
as in shudder
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
the prisoner experienced a sudden shiver when confronted with the sight of the dark basement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in butterflies
shivers plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
looking down from the window ledge sent shivers up my spine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shiver
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That phrase, narrative control at scale, should send shivers down your spine.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
In the morning, Mum found it under the table, shivering from cold and fear.
—Literary Hub, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shiver
Noun
The names send a shiver down the spine of longtime Jackets fans.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That phrase, narrative control at scale, should send shivers down your spine.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
An unexpected puppy rescue has captured hearts on social media after a California woman in Hawaii stumbled on a tiny, shivering puppy in the field next to their house on the island.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
In the morning, Mum found it under the table, shivering from cold and fear.
—Literary Hub, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shiver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiver
Noun
-
The age of trade protectionism returned to America in 2025 with the shudder of a closing customs gate.—
Inu Manak,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
-
To be frank, Bug is a nightmarish experience — but not in an overt, shudder-inducing way.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who dares to put marble in the dishwasher.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The Maine trembled and angled up, then listed to port, throwing him from his chair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their relationship hasn't been without bumps — the pair briefly split in 2015 — but the couple has managed to weather the ups and downs.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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For a splurge, split a stateroom in The Haven by Norwegian, a ship-within-a-ship concept offering luxury accommodations and 24-hour butler service.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If left untreated, frostbite can damage tendons, muscles, nerves and bone.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The Patriots eventually overcame their nerves, and the taller Tritons, with a strong third quarter to collect a 59-43 victory and maintain their grip on first place.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The dust-up came during a break in the proceedings, when activist and Army veteran Ivan Raiklin approached former cop Michael Fanone to shake his hand.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over the years, Andrews has garnered comparisons to fellow Arizona native Linda Ronstadt for her rich, clear tone, which can modulate from quivering vibrato to crystalline belt on a dime.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
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Danes is a four-time Golden Globe winner who brought her quivering lower lip to bear on the role of an author who thinks her next-door neighbor killed his wife.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Students were relocated for this school year so the old campus could be torn down and replaced by a new school, a process made more complicated by the need to safely remove asbestos and lead paint from the site.—
Brad Hamilton,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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If Manley is successful in buying the property, and after Beckman Coulter leaves, all the buildings would be torn down and a Costco would be built there.—
Terri Daxon,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For those communities quaking in terror, simply waiting three years for a new president is not sufficient.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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The jiggly, quaking contraption is eye-catching—a natural social media star.—
Julia Sullivan,
Outside,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiver. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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