Thesaurus results for CHARLEY HORSE

charley horse

noun

ˈchär-lē-ˌhȯrs

Definition of charley horse

as in cramp

a painful sudden tightening of a muscle had to stop and rest because of a charley horse in his leg

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 charley horse Of course, our new life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies and charley horses. — Danielle Kraese, New Yorker, 24 July 2025 After walking Jung Hoo Lee on five pitches to lead off the seventh, Gore left the game alongside a trainer in the middle of a plate appearance against Matt Chapman due to a charley horse in his left leg. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 May 2025 Leg cramps, sometimes called charley horses, are sudden, involuntary muscle contractions that cause intense shooting pain that lasts seconds to minutes. — Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 31 Oct. 2024 More commonly known as a charley horse, a nighttime leg cramp is when the muscles in a leg quickly tighten up. — Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2024 This is different than the last time, when the guy has the charley horse. — Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2023 David Della-Giustina, MD, an emergency medicine doctor and professor of emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine, says those heat cramps feel like a muscle spasm, or what's known as a charley horse. — Leah Groth, Health.com, 17 June 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for charley horse

Noun

People who have been infected with salmonella may experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, usually six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, health officials said.

— Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
The most common symptoms include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

— Renee Anderson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cramp

Noun

Latest injury report KU sophomore Kohl Rosario needed 14 stitches after getting elbowed at practice Friday and did not attend the game.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
The Roger Clubhouse has more than initially meets the eye with its all-white colorway, as the laces feature a shaggy texture and two red stitch embellishments are added at the heel.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of stitch

Browse Nearby Words

charlatans

charley horse

charley horses

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Charley horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charley%20horse. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of charley horse

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes