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
Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
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
Noun
Gives me the shivers every time.
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shivers
Noun
-
Guillermo Ochoa, who will be playing in his sixth World Cup with Mexico, is considered by many to be the ideal experienced goalkeeper to use during the opener, when nerves are sure to be high.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Researchers think these blankets' pressure on the body calms nerves, easing stress responses and boosting sleep-promoting hormones.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The American flag has never been among those Davis shudders to make.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The dam breaks, and Regina splits into laughter at Jobim’s deadpan devolution into nonsense.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
13 June 2026
-
Today, Cobbs, 36, splits her time between southeastern San Diego and Atlanta, and took some time to talk about her work, and being able to help other people feel a little less lonely.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
There are also mini shakes at $2 and many items held over from Del Taco’s last version of its value menu, Del’s Real Deals, which was introduced in July 2024.—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
Liquid diets replace meals with shakes, soups, or beverages to sharply reduce calorie intake.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Standard recycling destroys the whole part just to clean it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
The mechanism is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, abundant in bananas, which destroys flavanols both during blending and inside the stomach.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 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
-
Usually, the meteoroid itself vaporizes high above the ground.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Shivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shivers. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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