as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a night of fitful sleep did not leave me feeling well rested the next morning
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Recent Examples of fitful
Beyond the results and the outcome, given what this team has dealt with and the noise and fitful transformation that was foisted upon the organization as a result of broken internal dynamics earlier this year, it’s been a welcome development to simply watch the Canucks compete as a team again.
—
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In the twentieth century, the Soviet Union viewed China—at least until the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s—as a poorer cousin, a country to be steered and helped along in its fitful progress toward respectability.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Aug. 2022
These factors occur against the backdrop of fitful wage growth and climbing inflation, with everyday prices for housing, energy and groceries bedeviling Americans.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The subway’s recovery from the pandemic has been fitful, a tale of stops and starts.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In the twentieth century, the Soviet Union viewed China—at least until the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s—as a poorer cousin, a country to be steered and helped along in its fitful progress toward respectability.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Aug. 2022
These factors occur against the backdrop of fitful wage growth and climbing inflation, with everyday prices for housing, energy and groceries bedeviling Americans.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
The subway’s recovery from the pandemic has been fitful, a tale of stops and starts.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitful
Adjective
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Iran needs nuclear energy to meet the demands of its growing population; sporadic blackouts are already commonplace.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
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It’s sparked protests, vandalism and sporadic clashes with police that prompted President Trump to send military troops to downtown L.A., sparking questions over state rights.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The key is consistency – creating regular opportunities to develop listening muscles through practice rather than relegating Deep Listening to occasional workshops or retreats.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Because geniuses tend not to specialize in things like picking up after themselves, the human price is often paid by a long-suffering partner-secretary—wifely figures like Véra Nabokov, Sophia Tolstoy, and Alice B. Toklas, or the occasional husband like Leonard Woolf.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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That amounts to success through delay—a repeatable outcome, sustained through intermittent precision attacks.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Despite the relentless pre-match hype montages, intermittent deluges of FIFA self-congratulation and the blasting of Robbie Williams’ hilariously self-parodic tournament theme song at half-time.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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In that light, the sudden uptick in volatility is not a surprise.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
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Medical emergencies can also lead to sudden itinerary changes.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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According to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the team's complaint is due to erratic driving behind the safety car and not leaving an appropriate gap.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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And some erratic vibrations were detected at points last week as the stark outperformance of year-to-date laggards over the top 2025 performers prompted some comparisons to the nasty momentum-stock reversal of February and March that upset the market well before the tariff panic.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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