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
Noun
Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, often followed by slurred speech. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures. ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025 Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles. Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 16 Sep. 2025 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
  • Lost in the trembling of my own body, trembling like Bunny’s body.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Olsen plays Joan’s indecision with winsome fluster, at first breathy and trembling but eventually finding her resolve.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Applause intermingled with tears as the families of the Camp Mystic campers and counselors looked on, many with small children fidgeting in their Sunday-best attire behind the governor.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sounds like the plot of a tear-jerking movie, no?
    David Oliver, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.
    Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Beyond ground shaking, earthquakes in the region can trigger landslides, tsunamis, and infrastructure collapse, underscoring the importance of preparedness and awareness.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Still, Sabbath sounded amazing, the band’s distinctive vibe of limitless cosmic encumbrance, of Man squirming under the thumb of Fate, God, madness—the essential heavy-metal vision—somehow magnified by the venerable wobbliness of its playing.
    James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 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
  • Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has taken the next logical step in making a Black Hawk helicopter autonomous by not only installing the gear needed for self-flying, but by yanking out the entire cockpit and replacing it with cargo doors.
    David Szondy October 13, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
  • However, she was momentarily stopped when one concert goer grabbed her, violently yanking her backwards and into the barricade.
    Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Just be sure the lid’s fully sealed before tossing it in your bag or pack.
    Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The long-standing tradition involves the crowd tossing the discs into the air primarily before kickoff at Jones AT&T Stadium.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 20 Sep. 2025
  • The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.
    Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Twitching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twitching. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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