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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 spasm According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms typically include changes to vision, muscle weakness, spasms, numbness, loss of balance and cognitive impairment. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025 Talk to your doctor if bladder issues or leg spasms are keeping you awake. Health, 23 Aug. 2025 But his spasms, vexingly, grew more frequent and severe. Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 However, swapping out classic sodium chloride for sodium bromide is a solid way to give yourself acne, involuntary muscle spasms, and paranoid psychosis. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spasm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasm
Noun
  • Symptoms of nicotine poisoning can include abdominal cramps, confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, headache and vomiting.
    Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Common symptoms of Vibrio infection include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, dangerously low blood pressure and blistering lesions.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As the sun sets, diners dig into burgers dressed up like banh mi, with pickled daikon, rich duck liver mousse, and a burst of cilantro.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Set in the country's highlands, La Ruta de Las Flores is a scenic drive that connects several villages, and bursts to life when the coffee fields lining it come into full bloom.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The more massive stars can produce heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, all the way up to iron, in a sequence of fusion reactions that end in a supernova explosion.
    Luke Keller, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • But two years ago, as the latest wave of artificial intelligence began reshaping education, Leskovec told Fortune he was rocked by the explosion of his field into the mainstream.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With his natural charisma and naked emotion, Thug and Big Bank go all the way back to rapper’s childhood traumas (his apartment complex burning down, his older brother dying in front of him) to try to get to the bottom of his emotional outbursts.
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 11 Sep. 2025
  • This brightening coincides with the system having an outburst.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Around the time of this flip, solar activity gradually ramps up, causing more solar eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The tour also visits Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar’s only inhabited island, and the lava fields created by the 1973 volcanic eruption.
    Mia Taylor, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would escalate in the aftermath of the 31-year-old’s death.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
  • A-list celebrities surrounded by camera flashes didn't round out the front row – fashion editors, designers and industry experts did.
    Anika Reed, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • On Lake Michigan's shoreline, waves were forecast to reach up to 6 feet on Saturday because of wind gusts up to 30 mph.
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasm. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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