tic

noun

ˈtik How to pronounce tic (audio)
Definition of ticnext
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tic The first four episodes retain most of the novel’s key incidents and tics. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 Show your unique speaking style For decades, communication coaches counseled clients to ruthlessly eliminate verbal tics and awkward pauses. — Matt Abrahams, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 Mocking each other’s writing tics became part of the fun, just as challenging each other to go darker and twistier was part of the adventure. — Scott Westerfeld, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 After surgery, that device is programmed to send mild electrical impulses that block abnormal nerve signals and dramatically reduce tics. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tic
  1. trick
  2. trait
  3. characteristic
  4. mannerism
  5. quirk
  6. idiosyncrasy
  7. eccentricity
  8. habit
Noun
  • Kids can explore an inflatable corn maze, go trick-or-treating, face painting and more.
    — John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Beamer’s acumen in the game’s third phase comes from father, Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, whose Virginia Tech teams won games by blocking kicks and using trick plays.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • The team’s brightest moment comes when Olivia realizes that Daisy has incorporated her unique personality traits, like praying repetitiously and loving the musical Annie.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Publishers sold albums of facsimile autographs, and the interest developed into the field of graphology, the practice of analyzing a person’s handwriting to purportedly discern personality traits.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of trait
Noun
  • The result suggests that the crystal framework has the structural characteristics needed for fast lithium-ion transport.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Knowing someone's baseline characteristics is not the same as knowing what that person thinks about this decision today.
    — Leslie John, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Noun
  • Growing older, Christian inherited his father’s mannerisms and infectious energy and often wears a glittering Bad Boy chain around his neck, firmly tying himself to his father’s shadow.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Others noticed how similar Ella’s voice and mannerisms are to Bening’s.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of mannerism
Noun
  • Be advised, then, of the unadvertised benefits, and quirks, of in-person learning.
    — David Shribman, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The Kings get busy early shading in a lot of the quirks and personality of this series.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of quirk
Noun
  • Nina Simone’s definition of freedom, in the early 1970s, as the absence of fear, and Gaye’s license to express oneself, down to every last funky idiosyncrasy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • With exceptional performances from the entire cast and homages to musical legends like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Bioh and White present a reflection of the Black female experience in all of its dazzling idiosyncrasies, triumphs and pains.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of idiosyncrasy
Noun
  • But the scenes of Roy using household objects to relay the action of the game (accompanied by twinkling music) push Keeley beyond the limits of eccentricity.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This vast misshapen island was traditionally noted for ghosts, folktales, eccentricity, fish, and friendliness.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of eccentricity
Noun
  • But the habit Ripa keeps pointing to is the one doctors agree on.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Co-existence with extraterrestrials has seen humans revert to old habits of prejudice and apartheid; crime and corruption are rampant as ever; pop-up ads now irksomely manifest as holograms in your personal space.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of habit

Browse Nearby Words

tiaras
tic
tick
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Cite this Entry

“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tic. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tic

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