1
as in fidgets
to make jerky or restless movements
the dog twitched in her sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jerks
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
the rabbit twitched its nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of twitches
Angela Haupt, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.
—Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.
—Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twitches
Verb
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The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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By the time symptoms first appear, the majority of these cells are lost forever, meaning the disease can progress for years before any of the telltale physical symptoms emerge—tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement, among others.—
Todd Weissman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
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Until recently, scientists could only manually read through graphs of seismic recordings to pick out tremors, then use the data to trace the movements of magma that caused them.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to the footage, Falcinelli then moves toward the officer before the officer yanks him by the arm.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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Judy yanks Mikey’s roller trunk out of the mud and leads him toward one of the nearby hiking trails.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
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Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Macfadyen tosses Dirty Rotten Scoundrels into the stew of influences.—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
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Lindell eventually accepts the documents, tosses them aside, and continues his interview with O’Keefe Media Group reporter Michael Casey.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Wembanyama is on the short list of MVP favorites as the league lurches toward the playoffs, a list that includes former NBA champions Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC, Denver’s Nikola Jokic along with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles’ Luka Doncic.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
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After a moment of hesitation, Harington lurches forward and plants a passionate kiss on Turner, who responds in kind.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Twitches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twitches. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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