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
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
Take the Los Angeles Dodgers and the team’s fitful response to the immigration raids terrorizing large swaths of its fan base.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
If there is no serious reckoning that attempts to rebuild presidential accountability for foreign policy, then Americans should expect not only more military parades but also more military misadventures, unpredictable trade relations, and fitful foreign-policy making in a very uncertain future.
—Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 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
Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 11 July 2025
Take the Los Angeles Dodgers and the team’s fitful response to the immigration raids terrorizing large swaths of its fan base.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
If there is no serious reckoning that attempts to rebuild presidential accountability for foreign policy, then Americans should expect not only more military parades but also more military misadventures, unpredictable trade relations, and fitful foreign-policy making in a very uncertain future.
—Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 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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Kiir and Machar had served in a unity government as part of a peace deal that ended the civil war, but their partnership remained tenuous and sporadic violence has continued between the two sides.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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If done right, rather than being a sporadic on-again, off-again (and, perhaps, threatening) part of workplace life, change will be embraced as a foundational attribute of your organization’s entrepreneurial culture.—
Julia Dhar,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In August 2023, Perez – a tourism official who manages the island’s biggest concert venue, the Coliseo – got a phone call from two producers for Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the genre-bending Puerto Rican rapper, singer, actor and occasional professional wrestler better known as Bad Bunny.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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About the series This is the second this year in an occasional series on 2025 winners of the annual WaterSmart Landscape Contest, conducted in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In some cases, this even results in no weight loss during intermittent fasting, and instead to muscle loss and fat buildup.—
Frederik Jötten,
Scientific American,
12 Sep. 2025
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What's more, intermittent fasting (which has been shown to alleviate some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease), following a period of eating a high-fat diet was also enough of an intervention to restore normal activity to the CCK interneurons.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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And then all of a sudden, the pick.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Simmons attributed the early struggles to some erratic snaps by center Julius Pierce along with FIU’s inability to execute double-team blocks.—
Alex Krutchik,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
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That same year, the actor was fired from the sitcom following a series of erratic public outbursts and reported clashes with showrunner Chuck Lorre.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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