1
as in cramp
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle he suffers terribly from back spasms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

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 spasm The spasms are considered normal and have not been linked to any kind of pathological problem or mental health condition, though persons with Parkinson’s, chronic migraines or brain lesions have been documented experiencing more hypnic jerks than what is considered typical. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025 But the occasional spasms of laughter elicited by this film come mostly with a knowing wince. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2025 Barring any unforeseen spasms of craziness, the NFL’s dominance over the field should reassert itself in next year’s chart. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Jan. 2025 An esophageal spasm occurs when the esophageal muscles contract abnormally. Mark Gurarie, Health, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spasm 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasm
Noun
  • Colorectal Cancer Symptoms The common symptoms are changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation, bright red rectal bleeding, dark blood in stool, cramps, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Sinner’s health concerns and cramps could open the door a little for Zverev, a monster athlete who only played 81 minutes of his semifinal against Djokovic before his retirement.
    Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Boston is bracing for snow late this weekend as a burst of Arctic air drops temperatures into the teens.
    Rachel Dobkin, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
  • It was inspired by the neon colors of neon light artist James Turrell, adding bright bursts of pink and orange to their belts.
    Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • While the fiery explosion is enough to make Emily and Matt believe that Chuck is dead, her ex-boyfriend and fellow agent Baron (Scott) believes otherwise.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
  • That 17-point explosion in the fourth quarter was the on-court highlight.
    William Guillory, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Page Six reported that the 58-year-old television chef had an outburst on Thursday, January 16, while shopping at Eataly NYC Downtown.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Speaking during his post-match interview on court, Medvedev appeared to be in good spirits and didn’t mention his outburst at the end of the third set.
    Ben Church, CNN, 14 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • One possible scenario is an eruption outside of the volcano's caldera—the circular depression that forms a crater at a volcanic summit—as happened in the 2014 eruption.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Plus, scientists are still studying the effects of events like the January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption, which introduced vast quantities of water vapor and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere.
    Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Law enforcement used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the demonstrators just before Trump was set to deliver remarks from the Rose Garden.
    Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Playing out of position at right-back, and ably supported by industrious Jesper Lindstrom — who, out of possession, often dropped back into the defence to make a five-strong line — O’Brien showed flashes of the promise that persuaded the club to sign him for £17million ($21.6m).
    Greg O'Keeffe, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In one, five women in white hanbok, carrying bundles of white laundry on their heads, form a tight, diagonal spiral (in response to gusts of wind?) against dark fields of grass and cropland.
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The National Weather Service said that the chance for moderate winds, with gusts of up to 50 mph, will rise to 50% on Monday and 60% on Tuesday, with a 10% chance of strong winds up to 70 mph on both days.
    Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near spasm

Cite this Entry

“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasm. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on spasm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!