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
After a few years of fitful growth, the Coop was having trouble keeping the store running.
—
The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Charlotte has had an underwhelming run in 2025-26, thanks in part to the fitful availability of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Their father may be a fitful presence at home, but his work already has them under its spell.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
China today opened a global summit on women’s rights, a marker of its growing diplomatic ambition as well as its own fitful efforts to strengthen gender equality.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
Charlotte has had an underwhelming run in 2025-26, thanks in part to the fitful availability of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Their father may be a fitful presence at home, but his work already has them under its spell.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
China today opened a global summit on women’s rights, a marker of its growing diplomatic ambition as well as its own fitful efforts to strengthen gender equality.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitful
Adjective
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Kumar is one of millions of residents in the Indian capital suffering sporadic water shortages due to rising ammonia levels in the Yamuna River that last week forced six of the city’s nine major water plants to shut down.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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The 27-year-old Campusano — who is out of minor league options — was 0-for-21 in sporadic action in the majors last year.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Scam centers proliferating as criminal gangs flout laws In Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, a failure to consistently enforce laws against human trafficking, labor abuses and criminal activities have allowed cyber-scam centers to flourish despite occasional crackdowns, the report noted.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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While occasional scooting can happen, recurring episodes usually signal an underlying issue with anal glands.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In order to strengthen the grid as a result of the addition of intermittent renewables, Chinese authorities have also added utility-scale batteries to a subsidy program aimed at accelerating the green transition.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Workers had begun a series of intermittent labor actions in September in protest of the lease, while lobbying groups have accused the port authority of hiking service charges to deliberately make the port’s operations look more profitable to DP World.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In a June 2014 essay for Today in honor of Father's Day, Savannah reflected on her late dad, who died of a sudden heart attack in 1988.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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Autonomous vehicles must be able to detect unpredictable behavior, anticipate sudden movement and respond instantly when children are present.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Engram’s impact at TE1 was erratic, though, to put it kindly.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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Even for a politician known for erratic policy shifts, this swap—of longtime democratic partners that have sacrificed much for America’s benefit in exchange for an authoritarian regime intent on undermining it—is bizarre.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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