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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fitful
And no detail has been overlooked: Don’t worry about fitful sleep at 12,000 feet above sea level in a suite at this hotel, since oxygen’s piped into the 55 rooms to improve the air quality.
—
Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 28 July 2025
The next day is more of the same, and a keen reminder that this is Indiana men’s basketball in its scope, and a keen reminder that this is Indiana men’s basketball in the fitful stages of transition, all at once.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Those were troubled times, fitful and disillusioning for many.
—Kurt L. Schmoke, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
Fitbit’s exceedingly fitful progress allowed competitors to get to market first.
—Brian Santo, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 28 July 2025
The next day is more of the same, and a keen reminder that this is Indiana men’s basketball in its scope, and a keen reminder that this is Indiana men’s basketball in the fitful stages of transition, all at once.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Those were troubled times, fitful and disillusioning for many.
—Kurt L. Schmoke, Baltimore Sun, 27 Mar. 2025
Fitbit’s exceedingly fitful progress allowed competitors to get to market first.
—Brian Santo, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitful
Adjective
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The English-language narration, delivered by Kyra Sedgwick, is used for sporadic, jarring and rarely necessary info drops, and would have felt more at home on the soundtrack of a PBS nature series.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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Trump deploys 'Bibisitters' The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal has largely held, though sporadic fighting since the deal was signed has erupted and left two Israeli soldiers and more than 40 Palestinians dead.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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All the pieces seem to fit, producing a symphony of contact and occasional crescendo of slug.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Unlike other renewable sources of energy, which are intermittent, osmotic power runs 24 hours per day, independent of the weather.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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Most areas along the western and northern lakeshore will see intermittent rain, though totals are lighter than the heaviest lake-effect bands farther north.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most aneurysms are symptom-free, but sudden severe headaches or vision changes can signal a life-threatening rupture.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
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Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After weeks of erratic readings, Lewis reverted to the older G6 model and raised $25,000 on TikTok (@typeonederfulwells) to purchase a diabetes-alert service dog.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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However, Dern has struggled to wrestle with any consistency in the UFC, and her striking has been erratic, though she’s improved over seven years in the promotion.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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