1
: an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation
a spasm of creativity
spasms of pain
spasm
intransitive verb
Examples of spasm in a Sentence
a disease that causes muscle spasms
He was racked with coughing spasms.
She was suffering spasms of guilt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hence, the spasms of anticipatory body language in the stands before the 25-year-old guard sank the dagger: This is just what this team does.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 June 2025
When Herod enters, the music lurches between saccharine waltz episodes and spasms of Expressionistic anarchy—a fracturing of the lingua franca.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
In the five years since the global shutdown that heralded the Covid-19 pandemic, the retail industry has weathered a once-in-a-generation evolutionary spasm which, like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, has forced brands and companies to adapt or die.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
According to the neurologist, Dr. Alier Marrero, the patients suffered hallucinations, spasms, rapid memory loss and the sensation that bugs were crawling underneath their skin, but their symptoms and brain scans didn’t neatly fit an existing diagnosis.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
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Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 June 2025
When Herod enters, the music lurches between saccharine waltz episodes and spasms of Expressionistic anarchy—a fracturing of the lingua franca.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
In the five years since the global shutdown that heralded the Covid-19 pandemic, the retail industry has weathered a once-in-a-generation evolutionary spasm which, like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, has forced brands and companies to adapt or die.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
According to the neurologist, Dr. Alier Marrero, the patients suffered hallucinations, spasms, rapid memory loss and the sensation that bugs were crawling underneath their skin, but their symptoms and brain scans didn’t neatly fit an existing diagnosis.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for spasm
Cite this Entry
“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spasm. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spasm
noun1
: a sudden uncontrolled contracting of muscles
back spasms
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or outburst
a spasm of creativity
spasm
verb
Medical Definition
spasm
noun1
: an involuntary and abnormal contraction of muscle or muscle fibers or of a hollow organ (as an artery, the colon, or the esophagus) that consists largely of involuntary muscle fibers
2
: the state or condition of a muscle or organ affected with spasms
the renal artery went into spasm
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