as in nerves
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
looking down from the window ledge sent shivers up my spine
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Recent Examples of shivers
Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
These insects and arachnids might startle you or send shivers down your spine, but there's no need to worry about these bugs—not too much, anyway.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 21 May 2026
For anyone with even a mild rodent aversion, that can trigger shivers of disgust.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 8 May 2026
Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
And some shivers, because that title isn’t a misdirect.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
Loznitsa’s methods are grim and exacting, but the effect is never monotonous; there are shivers of Hitchcockian suspense, plus a whispery cackle of satire that veers toward the Kafkaesque.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Algebra in between scenes… sends shivers down my spine!
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Their accounts gave me shivers of recognition—their experiences echoed my father’s stories.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
Economic shivers give both the fits, and a pressured consumer has both well in the red so far this year.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
These insects and arachnids might startle you or send shivers down your spine, but there's no need to worry about these bugs—not too much, anyway.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 21 May 2026
For anyone with even a mild rodent aversion, that can trigger shivers of disgust.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 8 May 2026
Miller wrote the play long before the rise of artificial intelligence sent shivers through the American workforce.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
And some shivers, because that title isn’t a misdirect.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 27 Mar. 2026
Loznitsa’s methods are grim and exacting, but the effect is never monotonous; there are shivers of Hitchcockian suspense, plus a whispery cackle of satire that veers toward the Kafkaesque.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Algebra in between scenes… sends shivers down my spine!
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Their accounts gave me shivers of recognition—their experiences echoed my father’s stories.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shivers
Noun
-
The brain influences the body’s response to nerves as much as that of the mind.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
Something about seeing the gentle flow of an expansive body of water immediately calms the nerves, sending your mind into a state of sweet stillness.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
-
Hotels used in talks last week have already asked patrons leave as the country shudders into another quasi-lockdown.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The pitching splits between home and road have been stark.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
-
Because once a workforce splits into AI haves and have-nots, rebuilding organizational trust becomes far harder than deploying technology in the first place.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Then comes the eruption of a giant, bright fireball that destroys the rocket and its launchpad.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
-
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that a person needs to walk, talk, swallow and breathe, according to the ALS Assn.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The Moon, planet of our emotions, lifts your 10th House of Career, while innovative Uranus shakes your 4th House of Home and Family.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2026
-
The ones that are accepted are run through a machine that shakes the envelopes — this makes the ballot sink to the bottom of the envelope — and slices them open.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
When another attack splinters the small town of Pikeville, Charlotte is the first witness on the scene.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
Endlessly switching between apps and online platforms splinters our attention and can lead to digital exhaustion, leaving us anxious, apathetic and unfocused.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Risk factors for cardiac arrest A frequent trigger is rhythm disturbance—especially ventricular fibrillation—in which the heart quivers instead of beating effectively.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The four crewmembers reported seeing several impact flashes — flickers of light created when a meteoroid hits the lunar surface and vaporizes.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
One laser vaporizes a tiny portion of the rock’s surface to analyze its composition.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shivers. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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