as in darted
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
a dragonfly flickering above the salt marsh
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Recent Examples of flickered
Candlelight flickered against vibrant tanzanite, sky blue topaz and canary yellow diamonds on Tuesday night at Sunset Tower Hotel, where Pomellato gathered brand ambassadors and celebrity stylists to mark the reopening of its Beverly Hills flagship, unveiled in October.
—
Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Officers captured the scene using a drone, which showed the man balancing on the unicycle as flames flickered just feet from passing vehicles.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
In the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, electricity in Yerevan flickered for as little as an hour a day.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The lights went low and flickered, while the lights and the heat in a media center nearby went out, according to the Associated Press.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
In reality, whatever magic had briefly flickered tended to vanish just as quickly.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Streetlights flickered before large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, as a thick fog settled over the streets and temperatures plummeted to –5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).
—Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
By early Sunday afternoon, power was restored to parts of the Richmond District, drawing cheers from residents when lights flickered back on.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The prospect of a white-knight music fan riding in to save the day seems to have flickered and faded.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Officers captured the scene using a drone, which showed the man balancing on the unicycle as flames flickered just feet from passing vehicles.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
In the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, electricity in Yerevan flickered for as little as an hour a day.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The lights went low and flickered, while the lights and the heat in a media center nearby went out, according to the Associated Press.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Feb. 2026
In reality, whatever magic had briefly flickered tended to vanish just as quickly.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Streetlights flickered before large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, as a thick fog settled over the streets and temperatures plummeted to –5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).
—Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
By early Sunday afternoon, power was restored to parts of the Richmond District, drawing cheers from residents when lights flickered back on.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
The prospect of a white-knight music fan riding in to save the day seems to have flickered and faded.
—Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flickered
Verb
-
Sea turtles snoozed, manta rays glided, and reef fish darted by the thousands over lava pinnacles covered in corals and basket sponges.—
Betsy Andrews,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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The cameraman darted and crouched, arguably working harder than anyone else in the building to capture those breathless, in-your-face angles.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even at 4 degrees below zero, waxwings flitted outside our room, which had a sauna large enough to be its own hotel room.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Valentino and his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti flitted among their homes — which also included places in New York, London, Rome, Capri and Gstaad, Switzerland — traveling with their pack of pugs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her eyes fluttered open then closed.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The clergy made a full lap around the field to make sure all the angles were covered, including the end where Loop's very makeable kick fluttered wide.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The day Hanceville’s police department was eliminated, a switch was flicked in a dispatch center at the county sheriff’s office in Cullman.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Off a pass from Alex Carpenter, Knight went streaking up the right side of the ice, fended off a defender and then flicked a goal into the top of the net.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Under Moe, the Nuggets made the playoffs nine straight times, reached the Western Conference semis on four occasions and danced it all the way to the conference finals in 1985.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
As marching bands passed by, the music echoing through the city streets, people danced and cheered.—
Sara Cline,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flickered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flickered. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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