as in trembling
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side
the shivering of the crystal chandeliers while there was construction work next door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in shivery
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in quivering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in splitting
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shivering
Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
Once moderate hypothermia sets in, the opposite effect happens — heart rate, breathing and shivering will slow and eventually stop.
—Karl Hille, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2026
Victims would have experienced intense shivering, numbness, and growing confusion before slipping into unconsciousness.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
What she’s produced is a searching, pointedly disorienting text, studded with passages of extreme beauty and generous humor, that wears whimsy like a shivering veil over consuming discomfort, even terror.
—Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
Symptoms are fatigue, confusion, disorientation, excessive shivering and loss of coordination.
—Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
Once moderate hypothermia sets in, the opposite effect happens — heart rate, breathing and shivering will slow and eventually stop.
—Karl Hille, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2026
Victims would have experienced intense shivering, numbness, and growing confusion before slipping into unconsciousness.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Standing 10 yards in front of us on a corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a shivering elderly woman who looked lost.
—Richard Greenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
What she’s produced is a searching, pointedly disorienting text, studded with passages of extreme beauty and generous humor, that wears whimsy like a shivering veil over consuming discomfort, even terror.
—Paul McAdory, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shivering
Noun
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Its strength ranges from mild, causing little more discomfort than a slight trembling, to severe, in which passengers or flight crew can be thrown around the cabin and risk injury if not wearing seatbelts.—
Cat Rainsford,
Popular Science,
15 Jan. 2026
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There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
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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
Verb
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For the past three seasons, the Twins have been committed to splitting the workload between Jeffers and Christian Vázquez evenly, alternating between the two to keep each fresh.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
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The University of Michigan team addressed the longstanding challenge of inefficient photocatalysts when splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-dependent methods.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That all came to a shuddering halt after Khashoggi’s death.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Sat shuddering in my seat as the lights drew down.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Vargas added that the possibility of the Jalisco cartel now splintering and descending into internal fighting seemed unlikely.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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In the past, the removal of cartel leaders in Mexico has often resulted in their organizations splintering and in secondary violence, rather than collapse.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The disease, which gets worse over time, starts with muscle twitching, slurred speech, or weakness in an arm or leg.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
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After 10 weeks without food, Muraisi is experiencing involuntary muscular twitching and severe chest pains, according to Prisoners for Palestine, with her doctors warning of possible cardiovascular collapse.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Alex arrives to find Lucy literally quaking in fear, especially when Stephen summons the two of them to come meet his latest prey, whose name is Tegan.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shivering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shivering. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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