1
as in cramp
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
he suffers terribly from back spasms
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2
as in burst
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a spasm of love that he had never experienced before
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spasm
Under Nézet-Séguin, the musicians do the job spectacularly, releasing all those bilious harmonies and seething rhythms in an unbroken two-hour spasm of excitement.
—
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Irish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, after observing its medicinal use in India, introduced cannabis to Western medicine in 1842, advocating its efficacy in alleviating pain and muscle spasms.
—Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2025
Lee suffered a back spasm, which flared up on Thursday.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 Mar. 2025
President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December, but Syria is still wracked by spasms of violence, as well as millions of citizens who've lost their homes, their livelihoods and most everything else.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025
Irish physician William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, after observing its medicinal use in India, introduced cannabis to Western medicine in 1842, advocating its efficacy in alleviating pain and muscle spasms.
—Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2025
Lee suffered a back spasm, which flared up on Thursday.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 23 Mar. 2025
President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December, but Syria is still wracked by spasms of violence, as well as millions of citizens who've lost their homes, their livelihoods and most everything else.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasm
Noun
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People who contract the illness can have stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting anywhere from six hours to six days after infection, and symptoms can last up to seven days.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
20 May 2025
-
At home, Alpha has Uncle Amin jack-knifing with cramps on her floor, then slipping out of the family’s Eid dinner to score.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Short bursts of revenue can flatter results but may not create lasting value, so make decisions with a long horizon in mind.—
Ayo Adepoju,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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The successful challenge appeared to give Florida a burst of energy, but the Panthers could not convert on any of their chances in the shutout loss.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Noun
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An explosion of heated coverage followed the initial report, much of it seemingly reliant on police leaks or pure speculation for sourcing.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
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Fire investigators determined the fire and explosion were intentionally set.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Damon Valdez singled in the fourth run of the inning and singled in a run in the Griffins’ four-run outburst in the sixth.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
20 May 2025
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William followed up a Day 1 bagel with a 24-point outburst in Day 2, while Bates shot 1 of 6 on the first day but scored 19 points on eight shots on the second day.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Fifty to 70 volcano eruptions are recorded around the world each year.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
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This latest episode in Kilauea’s ongoing eruption started in Halemaʻumaʻu crater at 4:15 p.m. HST on Sunday and ended abruptly at 10:25 p.m., according to USGS.—
Eric Mack,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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There have been recent flashes from guys such as Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2025
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The twist here is that it’s being seen through the lens of a Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game campaign, which makes sense for a play with a flash of magic in it.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The set-up led to several major storms on Memorial Day that walloped the southern Plains and Southeast with strong wind gusts, a few tornadoes and large hail.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
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Prepare for penny-sized hail (0.75 inches) and wind gusts of up to 50 mph.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasm. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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