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
Eilish shares reaction to her tics Eilish was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 11.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 May 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
During the first 30 minutes of the show, Davidson repeatedly issued loud, involuntary vocal tics that were clear to those in the audience and on clips later circulated on social media.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Brooks is still wont to assume that social crises are a function of our personal habits, not economic or political injustice, and his methodological tics are the same as ever.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Once Ida is revived, Buckley is rife with tics and guttural asides, switching between rat-a-tat mobster slang and Shelley’s flowery English prose like some postmodern literary Gollum.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Davidson’s Tourette’s causes involuntary tics, and he was heard cursing throughout the show, however the BBC failed to censor the N-word during its broadcast, causing further harm.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 6 May 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
During the first 30 minutes of the show, Davidson repeatedly issued loud, involuntary vocal tics that were clear to those in the audience and on clips later circulated on social media.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Brooks is still wont to assume that social crises are a function of our personal habits, not economic or political injustice, and his methodological tics are the same as ever.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Once Ida is revived, Buckley is rife with tics and guttural asides, switching between rat-a-tat mobster slang and Shelley’s flowery English prose like some postmodern literary Gollum.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Davidson’s Tourette’s causes involuntary tics, and he was heard cursing throughout the show, however the BBC failed to censor the N-word during its broadcast, causing further harm.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tics
Noun
-
Davis occasionally destabilizes this very familiar soundtrack with sly production tricks from Horne.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
However, deer are adaptable creatures and often get used to the tricks put in their path, eventually ignoring attempts to deter them, Walke says.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meta staffers could potentially converse with and get feedback from the virtual double trained on his mannerisms, tone, public statements, and sentiments about the company’s strategy.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Jaafar effortlessly channels his uncle’s speaking voice, dance moves, mannerisms, and childlike wonder.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For character traits, officials look for tenacity, an unbridled love to pull and run as part of a team, and social skills.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Loyalty and purity of heart are beautiful traits that many, many people on this earth have.—
Goth Shakira
Contributing,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
This is an older home, and some of its charms come with quirks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
One of his quirks is collecting cologne.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Among the more unusual succulents Kent has are crested plants — mutations of plants that give them unusual shapes and other characteristics.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
That realization has led some investors to examine assets with different characteristics.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Write down your thoughts, and then build habits to make this personal constitution come alive.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Your daily routine, work environment or even your mental habits could feel slightly off today.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Outkast made their eccentricities feel normal, setting the bar for rap-song experimentation in the stratosphere.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Screenwriter Craig Mazin finds a way, however, by smartly retooling Swann’s story for a younger audience, stripping out the text’s more violent eccentricities, while preserving the universally winning curiosity of the premise.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No matter what’s rattling around in Peter’s brain, his bandmates are ready to play around with its cinematic potential by whipping up a DIY batter of post-punk and no-wave idiosyncrasies.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
-
Critics will argue that complexity cannot be rushed, that every deal has its idiosyncrasies, that thirty days is an arbitrary number.—
George Heller,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tics. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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