Thesaurus results for SPASMS

spasms

noun

plural of spasm

as in cramps

a painful sudden tightening of a muscle he suffers terribly from back spasms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in bursts

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a spasm of love that he had never experienced before

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of spasms Sensitivity to noise, touch and emotional distress can set off muscle spasms, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Witt dealt with back spasms and a knee sprain during the summer. — Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026 At 8 months, the child was also diagnosed with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 Seventeen safety incidents were logged, eight tied directly to the device, mostly skin irritation and muscle spasms, plus one fall with no injury. — New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026 Tua Tagovailoa was slated to start the season and then started having oblique spasms days before the opener and also missed those two games. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 In 2022, she was diagnosed with the rare and progressive autoimmune and neurological disorder — which can cause muscle rigidity, mobility issues, painful spasms and shortness of breath. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026 Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros was a late scratch with back spasms. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026 In 2022, Dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare, debilitating progressive neurological disorder that causes muscle rigidity and spasms so violent Dion broke ribs. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasms

Noun

People who have been infected with salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said.

— Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
The most common symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

— Renee Anderson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cramps

Noun

But this research suggests that automation can happen in bursts, and those bursts tend to cluster around recessions.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
On a night this cold, the bursts of flame were almost as welcome as the spectacle, providing a few seconds of actual warmth to fans on the field and in the lower bowl.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of bursts

Noun

First responders, hazmat and safety teams are not approaching the tank because of the risk of more explosions, and will reassess conditions later Wednesday morning, Kapszukiewicz said.

— John Seewer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
North Korea denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of strong retaliation if provoked.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of explosions

Noun

The fines could be rescinded if the coaches avoid sideline outbursts for the rest of the season, as the league calls for more civil interactions between coaches, players and officials.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
From harassing Brady over his divorce from Gisele Bündchen on social media to trying to be a rapper and much more, Brown’s post-football life has been one filled with public outbursts and controversial statements and stunts.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of outbursts

Noun

Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng also play surrogate dads to Seif, whose increasingly violent eruptions threaten to change the course of his life more than once.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
As of last month, 52 additional fountain eruptions had occurred, the most violent of which spewed lava over 400 meters into the air.

— John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of eruptions

Noun

Fault currents, which can fry components and cause dangerous arc flashes, are one challenge, requiring new protection measures and solid-state circuit breakers.

— Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The Panthers have shown flashes of their potential this season, but consistency on both sides of the ball will be critical to winning close games.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of flashes

Browse Nearby Words

spasmodic

spasms

spastic

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Spasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasms. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of spasms

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

disparate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes