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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spasms
Glasnow left his start in Houston on May 6 after just one inning with back spasms.
—
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
The South Side once contained a lot of those tragically disappointing high-rises — the Robert Taylor Homes, Stateway Gardens, and Harold Ickes Homes, all demolished in spasms of righteous destruction.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
Winners of 15 of their last 19 and owners of the second-best record in MLB (39-22) the Dodgers boast one of the best starting staffs in baseball, this despite being without Glasnow (back spasms) for nearly a month, and getting just three innings from Snell (shoulder inflammation, elbow surgery).
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 3 June 2026
That mobilization has triggered new spasms of anxiety among the league’s old-school media partners.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
Some people also experience painful muscle spasms and unexplained falls while navigating the disease.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
The most common side effects of TEPEZZA include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, feeling tired, high blood sugar, hearing problems, taste changes, headache, dry skin, ear discomfort, weight loss, nail problems, and changes in menstruation.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 27 May 2026
Houston outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who left Saturday's game with back spasms, wasn't in the lineup but manager Joe Espada said the outfielder wasn't feeling any lingering effects.
—CBS News, 24 May 2026
To some of those near us, her spasms were clearly an affront.
—Tom Levenson, Time, 20 May 2026
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
The South Side once contained a lot of those tragically disappointing high-rises — the Robert Taylor Homes, Stateway Gardens, and Harold Ickes Homes, all demolished in spasms of righteous destruction.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
Winners of 15 of their last 19 and owners of the second-best record in MLB (39-22) the Dodgers boast one of the best starting staffs in baseball, this despite being without Glasnow (back spasms) for nearly a month, and getting just three innings from Snell (shoulder inflammation, elbow surgery).
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 3 June 2026
That mobilization has triggered new spasms of anxiety among the league’s old-school media partners.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026
Some people also experience painful muscle spasms and unexplained falls while navigating the disease.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
The most common side effects of TEPEZZA include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, feeling tired, high blood sugar, hearing problems, taste changes, headache, dry skin, ear discomfort, weight loss, nail problems, and changes in menstruation.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 27 May 2026
Houston outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who left Saturday's game with back spasms, wasn't in the lineup but manager Joe Espada said the outfielder wasn't feeling any lingering effects.
—CBS News, 24 May 2026
To some of those near us, her spasms were clearly an affront.
—Tom Levenson, Time, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasms
Noun
-
Symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.—
Dorany Pineda,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
Common symptoms include muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
For decades, observatories have recorded brief-but-bright flashes of radio waves—fast radio bursts, or FRBs—whose origin on the sky astronomers have managed to pinpoint in only a handful of cases.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
-
This could be rescheduling a doctor's appointment, finding a contractor after a pipe bursts, or picking up your dry cleaning before a flight in the morning.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Another toxic chemical crisis A massive fire at a Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse triggered an ammonia leak, explosions and shelter-in-place orders across Eastside neighborhoods.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
Moscow’s mayor said air defenses shot down nearly 200 drones, as videos circulating on social media showed explosions and smoke billowing across the Russian capital.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Their gripes aren’t just about Sirianni’s outbursts — which, in fairness, mirror those of so many Philly fans.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
But her outbursts frightened the children too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Despite decades of searching, scientists could only gather clues of wind eruptions dating back more than 20,000 years but none more recent.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
The next step, Seyfritz said, is to determine whether the same patterns emerge across a much larger sample of eruptions.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Throughout the set, lasers, strobes and flashes enchanted the audience, visuals dancing alongside the music.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
Doing this at scale—combining all this data, getting as many cameras on the sky looking for meteoric flashes as possible—is what really makes this a critical scientific tool.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
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This would increase the potential for damaging wind gusts, particularly across areas west and northwest of DFW.—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasms. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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