1
as in cramps
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
he suffers terribly from back spasms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a spasm of love that he had never experienced before
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Recent Examples of spasms
Low magnesium can raise your risk for muscle cramps, weakness, spasms, and overall pain.
—
Kirstyn Hill, Health, 1 Oct. 2025
These faulty proteins accumulate in a deep brain structure called the striatum and cause symptoms such as uncontrollable movements, muscle spasms and cognitive decline that worsen over time.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
Given the Normans’ brutal treatment of the English and their subsequent expansion across the Mediterranean, there are undeniable parallels between 1066 and later spasms of European expansionism.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
The blooms may produce toxic substances that could result in headaches, weakness, shortness of breath, muscle spasms and gastrointestinal illnesses, officials said.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2025
The Royals are waiting for his back spasms to subside before getting him back into game action.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Over time, this strain causes muscle fatigue, tightening, and spasms, which can develop into a tension headache.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
The Royals batted around, even without star shortstop Bobby Witt, who missed the game with back spasms.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Kirstyn Hill, Health, 1 Oct. 2025
These faulty proteins accumulate in a deep brain structure called the striatum and cause symptoms such as uncontrollable movements, muscle spasms and cognitive decline that worsen over time.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
Given the Normans’ brutal treatment of the English and their subsequent expansion across the Mediterranean, there are undeniable parallels between 1066 and later spasms of European expansionism.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
The blooms may produce toxic substances that could result in headaches, weakness, shortness of breath, muscle spasms and gastrointestinal illnesses, officials said.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2025
The Royals are waiting for his back spasms to subside before getting him back into game action.
—Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Over time, this strain causes muscle fatigue, tightening, and spasms, which can develop into a tension headache.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025
The Royals batted around, even without star shortstop Bobby Witt, who missed the game with back spasms.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasms
Noun
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And if not for leaving for seven plays in the fourth quarter with cramps, Dowdle almost certainly would have broken Williams’ mark.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Some people consider dark chocolate a natural remedy for period cramps and pain.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Which is not always easy, given that Bellingham is ultimately a player for dominant moments and sudden bursts rather than someone who controls whole games.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Shot with both lyrical intimacy and bursts of vibrant energy, the film portrays the quiet revolution of a boy refusing to surrender his identity.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Attack largest of war on Lviv, Governor says A Reuters correspondent heard explosions booming across the dark morning sky as air defenses engaged targets from several directions.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Jump cuts punctuated by the sound of explosions move us incrementally downstream, ultimately out and over the Pacific Ocean.—
Anne Reeve,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The authors produced models for a scenario in which methane is released in plume-like outbursts.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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Macmillan has a musician's kind of knack for sculpting outbursts, rants and other verbal arias.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some over-the-top emergencies have included earthquakes, mudslides, tsunamis, train collisions releasing toxic fumes into the air, volcano eruptions, even a bizarre porta potty rescue.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
-
These spirals of solar wind can lead to large solar eruptions that can affect astronauts in orbit and key technological infrastructure on Earth.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Having spent large chunks of the past year digging out from under an avalanche of derision, Stevenson has also tasted the spoils of success with the Bears, a two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week honoree who, in the past two games, has shown flashes of what his best football looks like.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Though the album’s genres are superficially diverse—you’ll hear flashes of grunge, trap, and, yes, reggae—its arrangements could work fine as royalty-free background music for content creators.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Winds have decreased to 5 mph or less, but are expected to increase again throughout the day, reaching 15 to 20 mph out of the west-southwest, with gusts up to 25 mph possible.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasms. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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