as in shivers
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in shakes
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shudders
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
And my list has become … shudders … out of date.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
But as the season progressed, the [shudders] discourse really went off the rails.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
And my list has become … shudders … out of date.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
So one shudders to think what might happen when the Dolphins now face a murderer’s row of elite running backs and mobile quarterbacks.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudders
Noun
-
For more cold-climate shivers also see Finnish Weird, a quirky and often surprisingly spooky literary trove from the lands of the midnight sun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
-
And at the same time, while the East shivers, much of the West will bask under unusually mild to even warm weather.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Kicking off the Year With Self-Care These days, her morning ritual also includes Premier Protein shakes.—
Leslie D. Rose,
Parents,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Berto is seen walking back to his truck, while the Tahoe driver walks toward the front end of the Tahoe, looks down at the bumper and shakes his head before turning to point the firearm at Berto, the affidavit said.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The boy jerks his head as if to wake himself, turns around abruptly and looks the other way, even though there’s nothing special to see besides darkness and emptiness, which is where a living eye should never look.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Paul goes to shake her hand but jerks it back, then gives her a left-handed handshake.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former allows the player to set beats-per-minute, beats per bar, select different rhythms and whether a sound beeps and/or the device vibrates to the beat.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The red vibrates off the page in such a pleasing way.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
-
There’s a breathless mood in the air that quivers and quakes at the protests to come.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shudders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudders. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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