as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
the horse's tail flicked in restless irritation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flicking
Maza drew in Hamburg players before flicking the ball on for Kofane, who lashed it into the top-left corner.
—
ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The name Dekopin in Japanese refers to flicking someone on the forehead with a finger, typically as a lighthearted punishment or joke.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
In Japanese, the word refers to flicking someone on the forehead with a finger, typically as a lighthearted punishment or joke.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2026
Just a bit self-conscious, and sometimes the hair flicking and all that.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
Alijah Arenas switched between his forehand shot and backhand, flicking the plastic ball over the net to his opponent, former NBA star Brandon Jennings.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
While the horses were flicking sand like fireworks.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
In the example below, Matty Cash is pressed and goes long to Rogers, who, surrounded by three Tottenham players, deftly cushions the ball on his chest before flicking it back to John McGinn.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The name Dekopin in Japanese refers to flicking someone on the forehead with a finger, typically as a lighthearted punishment or joke.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
In Japanese, the word refers to flicking someone on the forehead with a finger, typically as a lighthearted punishment or joke.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2026
Just a bit self-conscious, and sometimes the hair flicking and all that.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026
Alijah Arenas switched between his forehand shot and backhand, flicking the plastic ball over the net to his opponent, former NBA star Brandon Jennings.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
While the horses were flicking sand like fireworks.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
In the example below, Matty Cash is pressed and goes long to Rogers, who, surrounded by three Tottenham players, deftly cushions the ball on his chest before flicking it back to John McGinn.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flicking
Verb
-
Nazar and Bertuzzi failed to convert on a two-on-none breakaway, but Nazar quickly grabbed the loose puck and found a darting Lardis to even the score at 1.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Everyone’s eyes were darting around the room.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Fittingly, Daniel Pemberton’s score has that same sense of free-ranging curiosity, flitting between genres at will.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From there, a user named Vega turned it into a TikTok dance video that exploded — people duplicating themselves on screen, one version performing, the other dancing behind them.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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One scene shows the comedian, dressed in a white suit, dancing on a stage in front of a crowd as sparklers go off.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flicking. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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