Thesaurus results for SHUDDERS

shudders 1 of 2

noun

plural of shudder

as in shivers

an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

shudders

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shudder

as in shakes

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shudders

Noun

The thriller about ambition, rivalry and human frailty, set in the ballet world, evoked visceral reactions — from adrenaline highs to pull-pinions-from-your-flesh shudders. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 June 2026 Some advancements have sent shudders through Hollywood. — ABC News, 18 May 2026 In early April, Anthropic sent shudders through the tech community with Claude’s Mythos Preview model. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026 China controls the majority of the world’s supply, and Beijing’s brief export restrictions last year on the minerals — critical for the defense and energy sectors — sent shudders through US industry. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Apr. 2026 The massive hack sent shudders through the department. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Last week, Brent crude oil prices reached over $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022, peaking at nearly $120 per barrel on Monday, sending shudders throughout the economy. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026 But as the season progressed, the [shudders] discourse really went off the rails. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026 And my list has become … shudders … out of date. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Verb

The American flag has never been among those Davis shudders to make. — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 6 June 2026 Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 May 2026 Hotels used in talks last week have already asked patrons leave as the country shudders into another quasi-lockdown. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026 Everytime one goes by, the car shudders. — Leon Hale, Houston Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2026 The mind shudders at the thought. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026 So one shudders to think what might happen when the Dolphins now face a murderer’s row of elite running backs and mobile quarterbacks. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudders

Noun

Speaking to Julia Cunningham on her eponymous podcast, Adams says the moment when Cecile realizes her half-sister is the serial killer (while her mom was a plain ol’ one-off manslaughterer) still gives her the shivers.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
Judith claims to be a forensic accountant, but is actually a career assassin whose very name sends shivers of fear through her enemies and ones of excitement through her admirers.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026

Definition of shivers

Verb

As to whether Sassnitz shakes off its nicknames from last year, that partly depends on what happens this weekend.

— Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
The Democratic Party on Saturday officially set its 2028 presidential primary calendar, shakes it up a bit, and puts six states now in the mix to be voting before March of 2028.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of shakes

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
Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.

— Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026

Definition of jerks

Verb

This painstakingly restored 4K version looks and sounds gorgeous; cinematographer Dante Spinotti’s work glows with saturated vibrancy, and Michel Rubini and the Reds’ score vibrates on a spooky synth frequency.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
When the patch vibrates, that movement creates an electrical signal.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of vibrates

Verb

Even now, there are moments during presentations when my voice still quivers.

— Michelle De Almeida, Forbes.com, 30 June 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

Definition of quivers

Browse Nearby Words

shuddering

shudders

shuddery

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shudders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudders. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shudders

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes