Did you know?
There's a glitch in the etymology of glitch—it may come from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning "slippery place," but that's not certain. Print use of glitch referring to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current dates to the mid-20th century. Astronaut John Glenn, in his 1962 book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: "Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it." Today, the word can be used of any minor malfunction or snag. If you’re a gamer you might even take advantage of a glitch that causes something unexpected, and sometimes beneficial, to happen in the game.
Examples of glitch in a Sentence
Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
Only a fraction of that system was going to be federally funded, and the office worked on making the whole network more reliable, with a focus on the technical standards and shared protocols that reduce glitches when cars and chargers interact.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025
Retailers struggled to keep up with the demand as early sales went live, leaving many consumers facing glitches, long delays, or empty carts.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
In addition, the agency’s field offices are also experiencing glitches that impact their ability to serve the public, according to the senators.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glitch
Cite this Entry
“Glitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glitch. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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glitch
noun
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