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
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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
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
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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Celebrated horsemen Adan Banuelos was arrested in North Texas after recently splitting from his supermodel girlfriend Bella Hadid.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Feb. 2026
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Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to block Djokovic's push for a 25th major title, splitting the last eight majors evenly between them.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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There were 2,684 reports sent in reporting varying levels of intensity — meaning some felt a weak or moderate shaking sensation.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of the camp was enclosed with an electrified fence, to keep out the Big Men, the massive, shuddering ursids that could not be named (more on that later).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
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With haunted vocal multitracking and big, shuddering beats, the album builds to a climax in which hope and fear are swept into the same rush of human experience.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The strongest internal check might be the American electorate, which would still have the ability to vote Trump’s allies out of office, splintering his coalition and potentially providing the votes for his impeachment and conviction.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Democrats are splintering between more liberal and stricter attitudes toward newcomers to the United States.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, as Decker did.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
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
“Shivering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shivering. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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