as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
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Recent Examples of tic
In public, her tics are often met with stares and whispers — or at worst, hostile confrontations — from nearby strangers.
—
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
DeHaan is, as has unfortunately been the case too often in his career, given a bunch of strange tics and asked to generate a character out of that.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2025
Her personality has been cleansed of the too-obvious psychological tics (alcoholism, narcissism, delusion) used to explain her unseemly propositions.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Even so, there remains a slightly amateurish quality to the project, involving on-the-nose dialogue and an odd tic whereby the actors tend to emote with their eyebrows — whereas Washington’s power comes from how much her character appears to be keeping inside.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tic
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025
DeHaan is, as has unfortunately been the case too often in his career, given a bunch of strange tics and asked to generate a character out of that.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2025
Her personality has been cleansed of the too-obvious psychological tics (alcoholism, narcissism, delusion) used to explain her unseemly propositions.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Even so, there remains a slightly amateurish quality to the project, involving on-the-nose dialogue and an odd tic whereby the actors tend to emote with their eyebrows — whereas Washington’s power comes from how much her character appears to be keeping inside.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tic
Noun
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And our favorite trick is shopping the Better Homes & Gardens Juliet bedroom furniture line at Walmart.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Feb. 2025
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Either way, spending at least a few hours by the pool at Marina Inn at Grande Dunes or beachside at Island Vista Resort—two of the best hotels in Myrtle Beach—should do the trick.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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According to Lalich, there’s one consistent trait among those who join cults, online or otherwise: idealism.—
David Peisner,
Rolling Stone,
23 Feb. 2025
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But this pigment is not very efficient under today’s environmental conditions, so why cyanobacteria evolved this trait has remained a bit of a biological mystery.—
David Bressan,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While the speech shares many characteristics with a State of the Union address, this presentation is slightly different in nature.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
1 Mar. 2025
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Yale researchers want to speak with Central Floridians affected by 1,4-dioxane The Florida Geological Survey also uncovered an insidious characteristic of this chemical combination: 1,1-DCE inhibits the natural degradation of 1,4-dioxane, allowing its spread.—
Kevin Spear,
Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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What appears to be tripping people up is that Culkin’s voice and mannerisms remain unchanged from role to role.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2025
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Most people get to see their own features and mannerisms reflected in the parents who raised them.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Other Materials: There is a whole universe of other, often proprietary, materials out there to make dinnerware from: laminated glass dinnerware, polymers, metals, wood, lacquerware, etc. with their own quirks, pluses and limitations to explore.—
Tom Mylan,
Bon Appétit,
26 Feb. 2025
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In a quirk of German politics, the governing coalitions are often given names.—
Sebastian Shukla,
CNN,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Read the full Pisces Daily Horoscope Aries (March 21 - April 19) Embracing your idiosyncrasies?—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
8 Feb. 2025
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Regional frivolities One of the best parts of League Pass browsing is catching the various idiosyncrasies of different local streams.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Through flood, earthquake, and subsidence, the Goose was coddled like a pedigree bird at a cost of US$1 million a year until Hughes died in 1976 after years of decline into Las Vegas penthouse seclusion and bizarre eccentricity.—
David Szondy,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
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The Parker's dedication to eccentricity runs deep, even down to the bathroom amenities.—
Catherine Garcia,
theweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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And this is already being reflected in Gen Z's current job-seeking habits, with 88 percent using online job boards and 36 percent using artificial intelligence for their applications.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
19 Feb. 2025
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That habit served Verlander for most of his career.—
Justice delos Santos,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tic. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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