as in anxiety
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements
because of the horse's skittishness and temperamental nature, only experienced riders should ride him
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Recent Examples of skittishness
If Monday’s recovery can shake off the skittishness felt during Friday’s rough market reversal .
—
John Melloy, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Lewis says his skittishness stems from a fear that competitors will copy Darrow’s model, and from sensitivity around ethical rules about sharing attorneys’ fees with non-lawyers.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Others think the frugality signals economic skittishness.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
Allen hosting Black celebrities like Diahann Carroll despite network skittishness.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
John Melloy, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Lewis says his skittishness stems from a fear that competitors will copy Darrow’s model, and from sensitivity around ethical rules about sharing attorneys’ fees with non-lawyers.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Others think the frugality signals economic skittishness.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
Allen hosting Black celebrities like Diahann Carroll despite network skittishness.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittishness
Noun
-
Add in the possibility of more extensive – and costly – work such as bridges, crowns, extractions or implants, and the anxiety can grow even stronger.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The enthusiasm around personal curriculums and independent learning might reflect modern-day anxieties.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The worry is that these aren’t simple, one-off glitches, but systemic flaws with the way that generative tools are designed and built, and a lack of accountability for the behavior of AI algorithms.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Taxes at that level were essentially a blockade on commerce between the world's two largest economies, causing worries about global growth that led to negotiations that ratcheted down the tariffs being levied by both nations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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War games involving Russian and Belarusian troops on Monday spurred unease in Europe, which is already on edge after Russian drones entered Poland and Romania last week.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Pasteur himself didn’t opine on whether this might threaten existing life, but others were soon expressing unease following his breakthroughs in unlocking life’s chemical secrets.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Whether someone's interests bore you or a mispronunciation is getting on your nerves, approach every conversation about such subjects with grace.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Lionesses are very process-driven in an effort to reduce nerves.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Leaders have since reached an agreement to de-escalate tensions, temporarily lowering the duties to 30% on the United States’ side and 10% on China’s part.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Both nations' military deployments indicate that the region could remain a potential flashpoint, with further operations or incidents possibly escalating tensions.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What these pants add to the look is a bit of edginess.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
8 Aug. 2025
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The shoe manages to feed her overall look’s edginess, while infusing a valuable touch of color, just like her shirt of choice.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittishness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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