as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shudder
Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
To be frank, Bug is a nightmarish experience — but not in an overt, shudder-inducing way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Noun
The age of trade protectionism returned to America in 2025 with the shudder of a closing customs gate.
—Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
To be frank, Bug is a nightmarish experience — but not in an overt, shudder-inducing way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Someone suggests aguachile, a word that makes Top Chef fans everywhere — or maybe just me — shudder in Pavlovian irritation given its ubiquity in this competition.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudder
Noun
-
And some shivers, because that title isn’t a misdirect.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Loznitsa’s methods are grim and exacting, but the effect is never monotonous; there are shivers of Hitchcockian suspense, plus a whispery cackle of satire that veers toward the Kafkaesque.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When the clock finally ran out, Auriemma walked straight to the tunnel and didn’t shake hands.—
Doug Feinberg,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The UConn players and assistant coaches shook hands with the South Carolina coaches and players after the game but Auriemma walked off the court after the game.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Furman is one of a kind: a trans, devoutly Jewish former rabbinical student who’s written a book about Lou Reed and sings folk-punk songs in a mercurial tremble.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
-
Valeria leaves guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother with a constant tremble in her hands from her MS.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The child had jumped at the sting, her bottom lip quivering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Risk factors for cardiac arrest A frequent trigger is rhythm disturbance—especially ventricular fibrillation—in which the heart quivers instead of beating effectively.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Basically, how fast a sound source vibrates.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
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Other researchers soon realized that his formula, now known as the Veneziano amplitude, implied that hadrons aren’t particles, but vibrating strings.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudder. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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