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
Relevance
1
as in fidgeting
to make jerky or restless movements
the dog twitched in her sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jerking
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
the rabbit twitched its nose
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
The more serious side effects of caffeine overdose include trouble breathing, sudden high blood pressure, muscle twitching, confusion, vomiting and seizures.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Picture objects levitating or twitching without external interference—or switching rooms.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, as Decker did.
—Verb
His eye is twitching, just a little.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for twitching
Noun
-
There’s Walter’s serene cello and Marjorie’s pensive, slightly coy violin, sometimes playful or petulant or, still, a little vain and secretive — other times thin and trembling, lost in the haze of dementia.—
-
Lost in the trembling of my own body, trembling like Bunny’s body.—
Verb
-
Cole, wearing a khaki jumpsuit, spent much of the hearing sitting quietly and attentively as the parties argued, occasionally adjusting his glasses or fidgeting slightly in his chair.—
-
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.—
Verb
-
To that point, Olympia shouldn’t be allowed to play the jury the tear-jerking recording of Frank’s final phone call home as the water rose.—
-
The Surprise Lining The most tear-jerking moment, however, was kept secret until the very last minute.—
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
-
The strongest shaking was recorded in parts of Matsue and Yasugi in Shimane, and Sakaiminato and nearby towns in Tottori.—
Verb
-
An annual tradition in the legal circle, as well as his UCLA symposium sit-downs, the hourlong speech from the predominantly softspoken Ziffren clearly had a few attendees squirming in their seats near the end.—
-
Hungry birds looking for dozens of squirming caterpillars a day to feed their young can easily find the insects on oak trees.—
Verb
-
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.—
-
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.—
Noun
-
The old dog slowed to a stop, nose full of bird stink, feathery tail quivering.—
Verb
-
Instead of tossing your cords into your carry-on and hoping for the best, keep your tech essentials organized with this compact $10 electronics organizer from Fyy.—
-
Montana State players jumped around at midfield, some tossing their helmets, to celebrate the team’s first national championship since 1984.—
Cite this Entry
“Twitching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twitching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share