as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tic
The Trumpian superlative tic took his boasts well beyond the general.
—
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Eilish shares reaction to her tics Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 11.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Y’know, that certain vocal style or guitar tone or even decade-specific production tic that transports us like the meal at the end of Ratatouille to joyous remembrances of times past.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 1 May 2026
In another incident drawn from Davidson’s real life, he’s brutally beaten by men with iron bars after one of his tics leads to an inadvertent comment made to a young woman.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tic
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Eilish shares reaction to her tics Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 11.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Y’know, that certain vocal style or guitar tone or even decade-specific production tic that transports us like the meal at the end of Ratatouille to joyous remembrances of times past.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 1 May 2026
In another incident drawn from Davidson’s real life, he’s brutally beaten by men with iron bars after one of his tics leads to an inadvertent comment made to a young woman.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tic
Noun
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This portable table will do the trick.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Dec. 2025
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And while the look may seem dated now, a new crop of red carpet stars is reviving that styling trick in a way that feels surprisingly fresh.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Those juxtaposing character traits were oftentimes the only way to differentiate between the gentle dreamer Bette and stern, controlling Dot.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
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The brand-new Zodiac Collection features a set of 12 fine fragrance mists crafted to embody each zodiac sign’s most iconic traits.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Vehicles not meeting passenger vehicle characteristics including, but not limited to, tractor-trailers, buses, motor homes and step or cube vans, the Authority said.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
11 Dec. 2025
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Scientists have found a skull with Neandertal characteristics farther south in England, but the inhabitants of the Barnham site may have instead been Homo heidelbergensis, a second early hominin species.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For Ellie Bamber, successfully capturing Kate Moss‘ effortless charm wasn’t just about nailing her voice, style, or any of the fashion icon’s mannerisms.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
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Trained on hours and hours of professional recordings, the AI simulation mimics Lee’s distinctive voice, expressions and mannerisms.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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That’s a rare TV quirk for back-to-back games.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
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In casual conversation, it’s treated as a biological footnote, something between a quirk and a joke.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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That sometimes meant staking a claim to micro-genre legacies, but just as often meant leaning hard into idiosyncrasies.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
3 Dec. 2025
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Instead, volumes seem to be correlated to game idiosyncrasies, such as overtime, narrow leads and, as mentioned, the locations of the teams playing.—
Alex Sherman,Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
27 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Yet somehow, this revelation doesn’t tarnish their panache, their eccentricity, or even their nobility.—
Jacob Brogan,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
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Luna spends the day in the socially conscious sign of Aquarius, shifting the emotional tone toward intellect, perspective, eccentricity and detachment.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
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The latest functional beverage trend isn't asking consumers to develop a new habit.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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How To Support Healthy Blood Flow Beyond Exercise Exercise is an important part of supporting proper circulation throughout your body, but daily habits matter just as much.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tic. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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