1
as in cramps
a painful sudden tightening of a muscle
he suffers terribly from back spasms
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
a spasm of love that he had never experienced before
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of spasms
The Bulls held Huerter out of Sunday’s game against the Miami Heat because of back spasms.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
But Johnson expected the Spurs to have an easier time against a team that played without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Jalen Williams (hamstring strain), Chet Holmgren (back spasms) and other key rotation players.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
Other symptoms can include loss of motor skills — problems walking, swallowing or muscle spasms.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
In his seventh start back since the popliteus injury, Demko exits a game against the Kraken with back spasms.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Suárez spent time on the IL for lower back spasms, soreness or stiffness three times in the past four seasons.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Jaylen Brown struggled early after missing Monday’s loss to Indiana with low back spasms, shooting just 9-for-24 from the field and committing five turnovers.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Hart entered the season wearing a splint on his right ring finger, dealt with lower back spasms in the preseason opener, then badly sprained his ankle on Christmas — a setback that cost him nearly three weeks and eight games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Starting 5 About an hour prior to tip-off, the Magic ruled out forward Tristan da Silva due to back spasms.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
But Johnson expected the Spurs to have an easier time against a team that played without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Jalen Williams (hamstring strain), Chet Holmgren (back spasms) and other key rotation players.
—Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Feb. 2026
Other symptoms can include loss of motor skills — problems walking, swallowing or muscle spasms.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
In his seventh start back since the popliteus injury, Demko exits a game against the Kraken with back spasms.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Suárez spent time on the IL for lower back spasms, soreness or stiffness three times in the past four seasons.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Jaylen Brown struggled early after missing Monday’s loss to Indiana with low back spasms, shooting just 9-for-24 from the field and committing five turnovers.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Hart entered the season wearing a splint on his right ring finger, dealt with lower back spasms in the preseason opener, then badly sprained his ankle on Christmas — a setback that cost him nearly three weeks and eight games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Starting 5 About an hour prior to tip-off, the Magic ruled out forward Tristan da Silva due to back spasms.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasms
Noun
-
Peterson was able to play 34 minutes, suffering no cramps during the contest.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
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Because warm water helps move waste products more easily, Harisadee says that drinking warm water can help with abdominal pain, such as period cramps, bloating, and any other forms of discomfort.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Also, some bursts showed strong circular polarization, a signal characteristic of magnetic processes.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Hulu has steadily built a library of bold, thought-provoking miniseries that have managed to entertain audiences in short bursts.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Flaring involves burning off residual vapors or gases in a safe manner to depressurize them and prevent explosions or accidents.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
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On Saturday, Atallah Abu Hadaiyed heard explosions in Gaza City during his morning prayers and ran outside to find his cousins lying on the ground as flames curled around them.—
Sam Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For his courtroom outbursts, Davis found Thompson in contempt of court and added a little more than four and a half years to his sentence.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
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An audience member was removed at one point for outbursts during remarks by commissioner Carrie Prejean, who rejected notions that anti-Zionism equates to antisemitism.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the sun, which could last from minutes to hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Kilauea’s eruptions are Pele’s movements.—
Tommy Orange,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Buoyed by last weekend’s second-half performance in their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, Spurs showed flashes of promise before their leader was sent off.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Blurry images of body-camera footage from the encounter, shared by the DA, show muzzle flashes and the suspect holding something in his hand noted to be a gun.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sustained, strong winds with even stronger gusts are happening.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
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Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasms. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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