How to Use tic in a Sentence

tic

noun
Definition of ticnext
Synonyms for ticnext
  • There are tics and quirks that come up through the process.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 June 2019
  • The rhythms, the tics, the inflections are simply not the same.
    — Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023
  • The problem here is Mr. Long’s Adam, a twitchy knot of tics and self-pity.
    — Andy Webster, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2017
  • Half the users are avid Friends fans scared to finish the video and reveal the tic.
    — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, 23 Feb. 2021
  • Or play tic-tac-toe in the soap suds with a patient inside.
    — Alan Berner, The Seattle Times, 16 Apr. 2018
  • Robert Norman has all the tics of Spock — the tilt of the head, the flat inflection when speaking.
    — Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, 1 June 2018
  • The fashion tics of punk—Doc Martens, pink and black and spikes and skulls—continues to sell.
    — Kevin Conley, Town & Country, 10 Oct. 2013
  • The tics, though less urgent, were still there Thursday night.
    — Christopher Clarey, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2016
  • The next tic-tac-toe passing play for a goal might be their first one this season.
    — Eric Stephens, Orange County Register, 18 Jan. 2017
  • Such tics may seem childish, but a lot of voters love this stuff.
    — Simon Shuster / Zurich, Time, 7 Mar. 2018
  • The girl later said that the tic was a result of Groom yelling and throwing objects at her.
    — Gus Garcia-Roberts, Anchorage Daily News, 15 July 2023
  • Games included egg rolling, a bean bag toss and tic-tac-toe.
    — Chuck Crow, cleveland.com, 31 Mar. 2018
  • Now do the tic-tac-toe-and-delete thing to each of the eight remaining squares on every face of the cube, but smaller.
    — Adam Rogers, Wired, 4 Mar. 2020
  • Place squares on painted plaque to create tic-tac-toe board.
    — Sarah Newell, Seventeen, 12 Sep. 2018
  • The episode ends with Hannah, again sitting in her bathroom, again with her OCD tics.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Esquire, 11 Mar. 2013
  • One recurring tic is a rapid run of notes that gives way to a trill—a kind of scurry-and-shake gesture.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2019
  • There were big boards on which to play pumpkin checkers and pumpkin tic tac toe.
    — 'sam' Boyer/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 15 Oct. 2017
  • The pressure was so intense leading up to the flight that Collins developed tics in both eyes.
    — al.com, 20 July 2019
  • Lighting fast with little recoil, the .243 will reach out and smack a coyote hard enough to knock tics off its hide.
    — Richard Mann, Field & Stream, 17 Sep. 2019
  • The Lightning took the turnover gift, and Brayden Point completed a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with a tap-in goal to tie the game.
    — Isabelle Khurshudyan, chicagotribune.com, 18 May 2018
  • Get some long twigs to fashion a tic-tac-toe board on the picnic table, and a tic-tac-toe contest should ensue.
    — Washington Post, 8 June 2019
  • Sometimes, Yun has a narrative tic of retelling what is already known from the details.
    — Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021
  • The tic communicates his jangled nerves in one deft move.
    — Andrea Simakis, cleveland, 29 Sep. 2019
  • As for lemon or lime, recall that the original recipe, in a precious and annoying tic of the early 1900s, had both.
    — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2023
  • These lines are both nervous tics and statements of blithe confidence.
    — Phillip MacIak, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Most of all, my tics, while not gone completely, calmed down tremendously.
    — Glamour, 30 Apr. 2019
  • Developing a tic would likely take more than one viewing of a video, Dr. Hull said.
    — WSJ, 16 Oct. 2021
  • Then there's the monsters: each has their own weird tics and personalities.
    — Joshua Rivera, GQ, 29 Jan. 2018
  • Kids can doodle, scribble, draw, and play tic-tac-toe, hangman, or any number of drawing games with these tablets.
    — Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
  • Never one to phone in a role, Hardy’s propensity for strange accents, disguises, and tics can be viewed as over the top or as a sign of his commitment.
    — Elliott Smith and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 23 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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