as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples 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 shudder
Timothy William Waters, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2013
Drive a hybrid enough and you’re guaranteed to feel a shudder at some point when the vehicle switches between all-electric to traditional gas mode.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2024
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
If this was Boone dumping his frustrations, and things continue this way … well, fans should shudder at where the Yankees will end up.
—Chris Kirschner, The Athletic, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shudder 
Noun
And concerns about the death penalty run through the decision like a shudder.
—Timothy William Waters, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2013
Drive a hybrid enough and you’re guaranteed to feel a shudder at some point when the vehicle switches between all-electric to traditional gas mode.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
For good or ill, never let anything stand in the way of a star who’s been told (shudder) to stick to character parts.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
If this was Boone dumping his frustrations, and things continue this way … well, fans should shudder at where the Yankees will end up.
—Chris Kirschner, The Athletic, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shudder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudder
Noun
-
Classic Turkish Cotton Robe Few things are worse than stepping out of a warm shower into a cold bathroom in the winter months, but having this robe close by will eliminate your post-shower shivers.Maggie Horton, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Winter is coming to New York, which should send a shiver — and a shudder — through residents who know how close the city came to catastrophe just two years ago, and how little has been achieved to prevent it from happening again.Jon Pepper, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Heading into the offseason, the Phillies were reportedly looking to shake their roster up a bit, even exploring the idea of trading All-Star infielder Alec Bohm.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
-
The captaincy tag had appeared to shake him from a foul mood that has festered as the series has worn on exacerbated by the youthful exuberance of brash upstart Sam Konstas, who has really gotten under his skin.Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Valeria leaves guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother with a constant tremble in her hands from her MS.James Grebey, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
-
Kaleena knew her fate before it was announced, teary-eyed and emotional as Kish, with a tremble in her voice, asked her and Alisha to pack their knives and go.Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
Verb
-
Previously the two were able to disable brakes, honk the horn, jerk the seat belt, and control the steering wheel using a laptop in the back of both a Toyota Prius and Ford Escape.David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
-
Dad nodded his approval again and the kid did as instructed, reflexively jerking his hand away as the starter began to churn the 117-cubic inch motor.William Roberson, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The song starts out claustrophobic, with Niko Kapetan’s voice hushed and quivering over an acoustic guitar.Alex Suskind, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024
-
The water off the coast of Point Vicente quivered in the distance with little leaping bits of life.Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
References to 1950s ephemera score writing so alive that the sentences seem almost to vibrate, like particles let loose by a madman.Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
-
The environment of the studios and the business was still vibrating from the hack.Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to shudder
Thesaurus Entries Near shudder
Cite this Entry
“Shudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudder. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share