twitching 1 of 2

as in trembling
a series of slight movements by a body back and forth or from side to side the twitching of my cat's ears was a signal that I should stop petting her before she got any angrier

Synonyms & Similar Words

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twitching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of twitch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of twitching
Verb
Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025 Prater, who was expecting gory details, is a little harder to read, though his face twitching doesn’t seem like a great sign. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twitching
Noun
  • Still, the cluster exhibited a subtle trembling motion while it was held in place.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The story follows a Jewish family across five generations, from childhood to adulthood, blending laughs and tear-jerking moments, just like in Bob-Waksberg’s other shows.
    Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Tear-jerking purple prose designed to make a Baby Boomer nostalgic and sad.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2025
  • Weak shaking was felt throughout parts of northern New Jersey, including Newark, Paterson and Englewood, and across the New York City area, according to impact reports compiled by USGS.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But as soon as my squirming newborn was placed on my chest, I was overcome by the desire not to keep these works to myself, but to share my love of literature with my baby.
    Ilana Kurshan, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
  • With net in hand, the future microbial geochemist dredged up seaweed and mud squirming with snails, crab larvae and other small invertebrates.
    Laura Poppick, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.
    Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
  • See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.
    Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • According to legend, tossing a coin from someone’s right hand over their left shoulder into the monument means the thrower is destined to return to Rome.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Wiggins returned to game action Sunday, tossing three shutout innings while walking two and striking out two on 59 pitches for Knoxville.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The result, nearly eight months into his second term, is an economy that appears to be lurching into a new era of state control.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The closer or farther apart the strings, the different the vibration.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
  • This high-tech watch is made for the outdoors, with a titanium casing, IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H hardening for temperature, shock and vibration, and more.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Twitching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twitching. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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