as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
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Recent Examples of tics
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
There, the feral irreverence that once made her alluring becomes inconvenient, and Lawrence plays a series of tics in search of a character.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Davidson, who people used to call ‘Fuck off John,’ does suffer from coprolalia, or involuntary swearing, but that just one of tics that are part of his condition.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, refers to a group of symptoms — such as tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior — that is thought to affect kids who've had strep infections.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
These death-spiral sequences are bluntly shot in and out of focus by cinematographer Doug Emmett to capture a fraying state of mind, if James’ actorly tics and frittering weren’t enough to indicate that.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
Martinů was something of a chameleon, despite his telltale tics.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
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
There, the feral irreverence that once made her alluring becomes inconvenient, and Lawrence plays a series of tics in search of a character.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Davidson, who people used to call ‘Fuck off John,’ does suffer from coprolalia, or involuntary swearing, but that just one of tics that are part of his condition.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
According to the Cleveland Clinic, PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, refers to a group of symptoms — such as tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior — that is thought to affect kids who've had strep infections.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
These death-spiral sequences are bluntly shot in and out of focus by cinematographer Doug Emmett to capture a fraying state of mind, if James’ actorly tics and frittering weren’t enough to indicate that.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
Martinů was something of a chameleon, despite his telltale tics.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tics
Noun
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Instead, here's how to make your house smell good with these tricks to tackle smelly odors in your home and promote pleasant scents.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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When later asked about the keys to forcing timing turnovers, Harmon said there are techniques and tricks of the trade that the Longhorns practice.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That process began by Pidgeon working closely with the movement coach Julia Crockett to get some of her mannerisms down.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2026
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Her characters often demonstrated how quickly and seamlessly a cyclone of cheerful mannerisms could morph into a wailing typhoon of uncorked madness.—
Merrill Markoe,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Personality traits such as mental toughness, discipline, high pain tolerance and persistence may also lead to worsened eating disorder risk and behaviors in athletes.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
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Because so many anatomical and physiological traits differ between the two animals, the specific impact of limb mass distribution could not be isolated.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The older version of the game, called Test cricket, spreads over five full days of play, and its duration as well as its colonial-era quirks (players wear white while representing their country and take breaks during the day for lunch and tea) have often lent themselves to ridicule.—
Erin Florio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
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The team is adept at navigating the quirks of historic homes and is able to honor the original details while making the residence work for modern living.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The characteristics and size of the small starch clumps could constitute a choking hazard, said Mondelez Global, which owns the brand, particularly in young children and the elderly.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As malls have closed because of shifting consumer shopping habits and a desire for more lucrative development opportunities, the expansive empty buildings have taken on a new draw as a kind of postapocalyptic wasteland, much to the chagrin of local officials.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Osiecki lists various economic reasons for this emphasis on money habits, including rising housing costs, rising costs of everyday essentials like groceries and utilities, student loan and credit card debt.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But while his own work is marked by coincidences and unexpected bookends, some provided by the universe and some engineered by the filmmaker, at its core, it’s defined by an unswerving faith in the boundless eccentricities and fascinating fixations of other people.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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Ake is initially hesitant to take her eccentricities to a more structured environment, but her fraught history with one recruit, 21-year-old Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), changes her mind.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As Venus and Uranus clash, avoid taking their idiosyncrasies to heart.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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But the measure of success for the second-year quarterback is simply getting more in tune with the idiosyncrasies of NFL life.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tics. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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