1
as in shudder
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
the prisoner experienced a sudden shiver when confronted with the sight of the dark basement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in butterflies
shivers plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
looking down from the window ledge sent shivers up my spine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shiver
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Shakespeare has Lear ask his shivering Fool, freshly aware thanks to his ordeal on the heath—a kind of exposure therapy—of the physical vulnerability of his subjects.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
Merely the thought of any potential Chinese aggression in Taiwan sends shivers down the spines of industry, market, and government officials, and an outright attack would put the worldwide economy in a tailspin.
—Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shiver
Noun
Alongside the radiant climaxes, the chorus achieves spells of shivering inwardness.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Shakespeare has Lear ask his shivering Fool, freshly aware thanks to his ordeal on the heath—a kind of exposure therapy—of the physical vulnerability of his subjects.
—Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025
Verb
The females’ eggs, fertilized by the males’ shivers, will hatch over the next few months.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025
Merely the thought of any potential Chinese aggression in Taiwan sends shivers down the spines of industry, market, and government officials, and an outright attack would put the worldwide economy in a tailspin.
—Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shiver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiver
Noun
-
For those still concerned with the club’s lack of attention to detail, Saturday night at Fenway Park probably led to some shudders.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
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At Bonniers Konsthall, with its low mechanical rhythm and amorphous forms, the sculpture breathes and shudders in a space that feels eerily alive—a shelter of desire, decay, and instability.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The word originally referred to trembling from fear or cold, and later came to describe earth tremors (as in earthquake).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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The cobwebs under the jarrah tremble in the hot breeze; there are no beetles snagged in the webs today to rescue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Verb
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In spring 2025, American Cruise Lines started to end many of its Columbia and Snake River itineraries—which retrace the path of the Lewis and Clark expedition—at the Lewiston port; the line will split itineraries between Lewiston and its twin city, Clarkston, Washington, just across the river.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
14 July 2025
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Judkins and his ex-girlfriend had split in December but were rekindling their relationship at the time of the incident, the report shows.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The two men appeared to shake hands before parting ways.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
28 July 2025
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Accompanied by her brother-in-law, Sen. Edward Kennedy, the former first lady was seen at N.Y.C.'s 21 Club — shaking hands with other frequenters.—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
Josh Allen’s Bills aren’t quivering in their boots after Miami’s five summer additions.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
26 July 2025
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My thumb quivered on the button, yet received no command to push.—
Alann B. Steen,
Outdoor Life,
10 July 2025
Verb
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White settlers in the nineteenth century tore down the city’s adobe structures and replaced them with red bricks.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
23 July 2025
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Mussolini tore down the housing and filled some of the tunnels with dirt to stabilize the hill above as part of his grand revitalization plan to modernize the Italian capital.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Harper crumbled to one knee, wincing in anguish, as Phillies fans quaked with their worst possible nightmare — that their superstar first-baseman is seriously injured.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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Mountains rise, volcanoes spew, and Earth itself quakes as the crust constantly remakes itself in the ceaseless cycle of plate tectonics.—
Elise Cutts,
Scientific American,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Politicians use them to vaporize taxpayer-favorable provisions along a gradient to meet budget limits.—
Bruce Brumberg,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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In the case of the poultry processor, investigators found that liquid nitrogen, which is widely used in industrial freezers, had overflowed and quickly vaporized, killing two maintenance workers from asphyxiation.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiver. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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