1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech
"you know" is a verbal tic
Examples of tic in a Sentence
The verbal tic “you know” often occurs in her speech.
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
Recent Examples on the Web
The only recognizable Mustard tic is the ubiquitous finger snaps, which mostly add sway.
—
Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Callum DeQuevedo struggled for seven months with severe involuntary tics, punching himself and yelling, before anyone knew why this was happening.
—Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Catherine was the queen of self-abusing, hard-living, and heading-over-the-hill entertainment veterans — women who were trapped behind a façade of slick showbiz tics that barely covered the active volcano of psychosis bubbling right under their surface.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Video-interview tools misread autistic communication, tics, or flat affect as a lack of interest or honesty.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tic
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Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Callum DeQuevedo struggled for seven months with severe involuntary tics, punching himself and yelling, before anyone knew why this was happening.
—Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Catherine was the queen of self-abusing, hard-living, and heading-over-the-hill entertainment veterans — women who were trapped behind a façade of slick showbiz tics that barely covered the active volcano of psychosis bubbling right under their surface.
—Merrill Markoe, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Video-interview tools misread autistic communication, tics, or flat affect as a lack of interest or honesty.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tic
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tic
noun1
: a regularly repeated twitching movement of a particular muscle and especially one of the face
2
: a particular form of behavior or speech that is often repeated
"you know" is a verbal tic
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