as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
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Recent Examples of tics
Nadal, with a wink, recites the various physical tics involved in his serving routine.
—
Ava Wallace, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The tics typically begin to manifest between the ages of 2 and 15, and males are three to four times more likely to develop the disorder than females.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Here, the British actor appears to take on Hansen’s vocal patterns and tics with an eerie, off-kilter precision, as those familiar with the infamous true-crime host can attest.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Eilish shares reaction to her tics Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 11.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 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
Some patients on chlorpromazine developed mild tremors or tics.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that may cause involuntary movements and vocal tics, sometimes involving outbursts of inappropriate language, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Ava Wallace, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The tics typically begin to manifest between the ages of 2 and 15, and males are three to four times more likely to develop the disorder than females.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Here, the British actor appears to take on Hansen’s vocal patterns and tics with an eerie, off-kilter precision, as those familiar with the infamous true-crime host can attest.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Eilish shares reaction to her tics Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 11.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 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
Some patients on chlorpromazine developed mild tremors or tics.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that may cause involuntary movements and vocal tics, sometimes involving outbursts of inappropriate language, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Mason Leib, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tics
Noun
-
As a long-time shopper, Aly knows there are tricks to scoring the best deals.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The robot training center's primary focus will be on gathering all the data possible, across a diverse collection of robots, in an effort to be able to fine-tune methods to teach new bots old tricks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Most warm weather breeds share unique physical traits that keep them cool in high temperatures.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Barring Bowen, only Tomas Soucek has leadership traits.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The fight will feature other quirks, including, surprisingly enough, the national anthem.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
26 May 2026
-
Short and sweet, Anything Goes earns a repeat listen, if only to catch all the little quirks and thoughtful lyrics that went over your head the first time.—
Kat Bein,
SPIN,
21 May 2026
Noun
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The company said the findings support a growing shift toward precision medicine, where therapies are tailored to the biological characteristics of an individual’s disease rather than applying the same treatment approach to all patients with similar clinical features.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
-
This means the fruit from the seedling will closely resemble that of the parent plant in flavor and other characteristics.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Select plants with similar growth habits to achieve the highest yield.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 May 2026
-
The researchers also emphasized that regular grape consumption cannot replace traditional sunscreen or sun-safe habits, and that the study relied on a highly concentrated grape powder rather than occasional, casual snacking.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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That the series houses its mad science experiments and cartoonish fight scenes in familiar packaging goes a long way toward keeping it accessible, but the charming eccentricities and their astute implementation add up to a Spider-story worth investing in — bring on the strange.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
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Of course, in addition to being perfect by becoming a doctor, John had selected, despite her eccentricities, the perfect mate in their parents’ eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Plowden’s own professional idiosyncrasies included never using a flash — instead favoring available light — and in particular shooting with his Hasselblad camera during the waning light of day.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
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Even a Massie win, as one strategist told Salon, wouldn’t necessarily justify clean conclusions about the President given the idiosyncrasies of Massie’s district, which stretches from the Cincinnati suburbs to the West Virginia border.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tics. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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