glitches

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the phrase "glitches" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to refer to minor malfunctions or errors, often in technology or software. An example: "The software had several glitches that needed to be fixed." Alternative expressions include "bugs" and "errors."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Meanwhile, there were reports of polling problems as glitches left scores of people unable to vote.

The Guardian

International observers gave broadly positive reactions to the conduct of the vote, despite late delivery of election materials and technical glitches with new voter ID card readers in some areas.

The Guardian

He's asking whether NSA director Keith Alexander's retirement announcement is tied to the Snowden revelations ("No," Carney says, it was in the works for a long time) and glitches in the health care rollout.

The Guardian

After a flurry of last-minute extensions following problems with the online enrolment exchange, the administration announced yet another: a 24-hour grace period to take into account timezone differences and any last minute glitches.

The Guardian

Voting went relatively smoothly in a nation of 170 million people despite deadly attacks by Islamist extremists, allegations of political violence, and technical glitches that forced polling stations to reopen for a second day in some areas.

The Guardian

But stop the clock and allow me to bring you up to speed with the best time-saving apps around, as well as pointing out some of the glitches.

The Guardian

Healthcare.gov is the portal for people who live in one of the 36 states that have not set up an insurance exchange under Obamacare; it has been plagued by technical glitches from the start.

The Economist

The Ponemon Institute, another research outfit, reckons that in 2012 malicious attacks cost American companies $277 for each customer's or user's account put at risk, a lot more than the cost of leaks caused by technical glitches or mistakes by employees.

The Economist

But glitches remain: the CD-ROM cannot identify a user's typed requests if they differ at all from those that have been pre-specified you cannot, for instance, ask for the "total pre-specified youcannoty, but must specifor"populatinstanceask.

The Economist

And yet, the very nature of such glitches is that they are essentially irreproducible.

The Economist

IT WAS probably low expectations rather than a manifestation of the Blitz spirit, but millions of customers of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) remained remarkably calm when computer glitches led to money mysteriously disappearing from their accounts and payments going awry.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the word with adjectives like "technical", "software" or "minor" to provide immediate context for the reader.

Common error

Do not use "glitches" to describe catastrophic system failures or fundamental design flaws. Using this word for a major disaster can sound like you are downplaying the severity of the situation. For significant issues, opt for terms like "critical failures" or "systemic breakdowns".

Linguistic Context

As a plural noun, "glitches" serves as the subject or object in a sentence to denote a series of minor malfunctions. According to Ludwig AI, it frequently appears after adjectives that specify the domain of the error, such as "technical" or "software".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

92%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Less common in

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

Ludwig AI confirms that "glitches" is a versatile and essential term in contemporary English, especially within the domains of technology, finance and politics. By analyzing over 60 high-quality examples, it is clear that the term is the gold standard for describing minor, temporary technical faults. While it carries a slightly technical connotation, its widespread use in mainstream media has made it accessible to general audiences. When using this term, ensure the context supports the idea of a transient problem rather than a permanent structural failure. Ludwig suggests using it as a professional way to acknowledge errors without being overly alarmist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bugs

More specific to software coding errors.

technical errors

A more formal and clinical way to describe system failures.

system errors

A technical term often used in IT and computing environments.

malfunctions

Suggests a physical or mechanical failure rather than just a software error.

hiccups

Uses a biological metaphor to suggest a very minor, temporary interruption.

hitches

Often used to describe minor delays or snags in a process.

snags

Refers to small, unexpected obstacles that catch or delay progress.

anomalies

Focuses on the deviation from the expected pattern rather than the fault itself.

flaws

Suggests an inherent weakness in the design rather than a temporary malfunction.

setbacks

Focuses on the delay in progress caused by the problem.

FAQs

What is the difference between glitches and bugs?

While often used interchangeably, "bugs" usually refer to specific errors in code that cause a program to behave incorrectly, whereas "glitches" are more temporary, transient malfunctions that might disappear as quickly as they appeared.

Can I use glitches in a formal business report?

Yes, it is widely used in high-level publications like The Economist. If you want to be even more formal, you might consider "technical errors" or "operational anomalies".

Is it correct to say 'computer glitches'?

Absolutely. The phrase "computer glitches" is a standard collocation in English to describe software or hardware issues that disrupt normal operation.

What is a more casual way to say glitches?

In a very informal setting, you could use words like "hiccups" or "snags" to describe minor issues.