as in shook
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
convulsing with silent laughter as the inept pianist blithely played on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 convulsed
Mary Fong Lau, 80, was sentenced to three years of probation, plus 200 hours of community service, for an incident that convulsed the city in 2024.
—
Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
The refugee crisis that followed—over 1 million Iraqis ultimately fled into Syria—contributed directly to the Syrian civil war that convulsed European politics throughout the 2010s.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
The war has already convulsed financial markets and led to a spike in oil and gasoline prices and left countries in Latin America bracing for the economic fallout.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government became concerned about broader social unrest and promised economic aid.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government became concerned about broader social unrest and promised economic aid.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Soltani’s precarious fate became one of the most high profile cases internationally during the huge anti-government protests that convulsed Iran last month.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
The raid convulsed that country, and the effects still ripple through this oil-rich city, home to major petroleum companies as well as a large Venezuelan community.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 Feb. 2026
The massacre in Mashhad unfolded on January 8th, after Iranians across the country went out to protest the regime—the culmination of a movement that had convulsed the country for nearly two weeks, following the collapse of the economy.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026
The refugee crisis that followed—over 1 million Iraqis ultimately fled into Syria—contributed directly to the Syrian civil war that convulsed European politics throughout the 2010s.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
The war has already convulsed financial markets and led to a spike in oil and gasoline prices and left countries in Latin America bracing for the economic fallout.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government became concerned about broader social unrest and promised economic aid.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government became concerned about broader social unrest and promised economic aid.
—Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Soltani’s precarious fate became one of the most high profile cases internationally during the huge anti-government protests that convulsed Iran last month.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
The raid convulsed that country, and the effects still ripple through this oil-rich city, home to major petroleum companies as well as a large Venezuelan community.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 Feb. 2026
The massacre in Mashhad unfolded on January 8th, after Iranians across the country went out to protest the regime—the culmination of a movement that had convulsed the country for nearly two weeks, following the collapse of the economy.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsed
Verb
-
Minutes into the execution, the team warden briefly flicked Hitchcock‘s face and yelled his name twice and shook his shoulders.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Bukele shook off his delusions of being the emperor of social media and abandoned his bullying tactics in the face of the biggest bully.—
Óscar Martínez,
The Dial,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
-
We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For a moment, the plane quivered around them like a greyhound straining on a leash.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed on a sightseeing flight off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month, killing three passengers, told investigators that the aircraft vibrated and spun before plunging into the water, according to report released Friday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The envelope all but vibrated in her hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsed. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
