1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech
"you know" is a verbal tic
Examples of tic in a Sentence
The verbal tic “you know” often occurs in her speech.
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
Recent Examples on the Web
Her role doesn’t ask for attention-getting tics, so O’Boyle centers the action by conveying practical reason in a no-nonsense, yet appealing manner.
—
Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
But none of us are going to notice because the hour spent on his speculative, facial tics.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
Instead, Hackman leaned into physicality - from facial tics to looks - to portray a scared introvert in one of his most subtle performances that was nevertheless powerful.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
The goal was not to do the most precise impression so much as to feel comfortable enough to forget about doing all the tics and instead live in (and improvise as) the character.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tic
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Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2025
But none of us are going to notice because the hour spent on his speculative, facial tics.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
Instead, Hackman leaned into physicality - from facial tics to looks - to portray a scared introvert in one of his most subtle performances that was nevertheless powerful.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
The goal was not to do the most precise impression so much as to feel comfortable enough to forget about doing all the tics and instead live in (and improvise as) the character.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tic
Cite this Entry
“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tic
noun1
: a regularly repeated twitching movement of a particular muscle and especially one of the face
2
: a particular form of behavior or speech that is often repeated
"you know" is a verbal tic
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