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
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Recent Examples of spasms
This comes nine days after Tyler Glasnow exited the first inning of a start in Houston due to back spasms that will cost him more than the minimum 15 days on the IL.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Hart entered the season with a splint in his right ring finger, sustained back spasms in the Abu Dhabi preseason opener against the 76ers then had another lower back injury this season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Narges Mohammadi’s brother, Hamidreza, tells TIME that his sister is suffering from a condition known as Prinzmetal angina, which causes spasms in the coronary arteries and can trigger heart attacks and other serious complications.
—Connor Greene, Time, 8 May 2026
Baseball has a way of happening and Glasnow’s back spasms might just be the first thing to postpone the Dodgers’ decision on who gets bumped out of their overstuffed rotation.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
The most common side effects of TEPEZZA include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, feeling tired, high blood sugar, hearing problems, taste changes, headache, dry skin, ear discomfort, weight loss, nail problems, and changes in menstruation.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
He was sidelined since April 22 because of back spasms.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Neck spasms kept her out for all but the first four games of 2023-24, and she wasn’t cleared to return to the court until late February 2025.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
These are caused by uncontrolled spasms of the vocal cords, which affect the ability to produce a consistent sound.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Hart entered the season with a splint in his right ring finger, sustained back spasms in the Abu Dhabi preseason opener against the 76ers then had another lower back injury this season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Narges Mohammadi’s brother, Hamidreza, tells TIME that his sister is suffering from a condition known as Prinzmetal angina, which causes spasms in the coronary arteries and can trigger heart attacks and other serious complications.
—Connor Greene, Time, 8 May 2026
Baseball has a way of happening and Glasnow’s back spasms might just be the first thing to postpone the Dodgers’ decision on who gets bumped out of their overstuffed rotation.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
The most common side effects of TEPEZZA include muscle cramps or spasms, nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, feeling tired, high blood sugar, hearing problems, taste changes, headache, dry skin, ear discomfort, weight loss, nail problems, and changes in menstruation.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 May 2026
He was sidelined since April 22 because of back spasms.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Neck spasms kept her out for all but the first four games of 2023-24, and she wasn’t cleared to return to the court until late February 2025.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
These are caused by uncontrolled spasms of the vocal cords, which affect the ability to produce a consistent sound.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spasms
Noun
-
To complain about cramps was futile.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
Menstrual cramps occur when the myometrium contracts to expel the uterine lining.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The discordant, Bernard Herrmann-esque bursts of María Portugal’s rich score ratchet up the suspense and foreboding.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
We were immediately greeted by a resplendence of wildflowers, including purple-pink woolly bluecurls, bright orange southern bush monkey flower, red bursts of cardinal catchfly and at least one Catalina Mariposa lily.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Herrero also sought to use practical effects throughout the film, including gunfire and explosions, often enhanced with visual effects.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Rubin, with the exquisite detail of its images, is well placed to find these types of events, in which stars disappear in explosions that can be too faint for other surveys to see.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Even their coach embodies a respectful, reflective male ideal and disciplines his athletes rather than celebrating them for outbursts of anger.—
Anna Rinderspacher,
Glamour,
20 May 2026
-
Even Republicans, who usually feigned ignorance about the President’s social-media outbursts, were weighing in.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
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For Sandra Hüller, eruptions of emotion don’t come naturally.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
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Beyond eruptions and lava fields, the park also has miles of trails, native flora and fauna, as well as sacred petroglyphs.—
Kait Hanson,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Against average or below-average defenses, Rodgers was typically good, sometimes even showing flashes of his old brilliance.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Indeed, the only shooting victims shown (in several devastating flashes) are the heart of the film’s insoluble sorrows.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The highest risk of fire weather is currently expected on Saturday and Sunday, when winds of 15 to 30 mph are expected, with isolated gusts up to 50 mph.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
For these storms, the Storm Prediction Center has placed parts of Kansas and Missouri, including the Kansas City metro, under a slight (Level 2 of 5) risk of severe weather, with large hail and damaging wind gusts the primary hazards.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spasms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spasms. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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