flicking

verb

present participle of flick
as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements the horse's tail flicked in restless irritation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flicking Another flash of brilliance came against St Louis City last season, another sensational assist, this one coming from flicking the ball through a defender with a sort of dynamic, Cruyff turn/backheel hybrid move, through to Matheus Nascimento. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 31 July 2026 His violent men — Scott’s sinister dad and Melton’s sad one — light cigarettes by flicking matches on their ears and teeth. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 France trailed 4-0 before Mbappé sparked a comeback attempt, flicking the ball past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute before adding a second with a left-footed finish from about 14 yards in the 66th. — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026 The action of continuously flicking a typical mouse wheel up and down can be slow and tedious as well difficult to control, even with infinite scroll wheels. — Shirl Leigh july 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026 By flicking their tongues, snakes can detect the scent trails left by potential prey, such as rodents or birds, and accurately track and capture them even in the dark or in complex environments. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 The Argentine legend unlocked the Cape Verde defense in the 29th minute, controlling a long diagonal pass with one touch in the box and promptly flicking it over the head of a charging Vozinha. — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 Mayele put Congo ahead 10 minutes later when flicking past Nematov at the near post and was mobbed by teammates and even substitutes, who raced off the bench and across the field to join in the wild celebrations. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 No more wrist-flicking just to wake up your wearable. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flicking
  1. darting
  2. flitting
  3. fluttering
  4. dancing
Verb
  • The site points out that dogs sticking their head or paws out the window could lead to them darting out or getting injured, and the brand says pets should be restricted to the backseat.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
  • Photos shared by the city on social media show the presence of law enforcement among the crowd, including a moment of what appears to be people darting from a firework going off near 23rd Street.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of darting
Verb
  • An airy, not-too-sweet vanilla like Taunt is the perfect encapsulation of a Gemini who’s always flitting from one topic of interest to the next.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 14 July 2026
  • Within moments, someone pointed out a starling flitting across the hazy sky.
    — Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of flitting
Verb
  • The sky was alive with millions of fluttering shapes, congregating into clouds at random, occasionally turning into ribbons that wound through the trees.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
  • Both are excellent as women emerging from a pupa of damage and tentatively fluttering their wings.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
Definition of fluttering
Verb
  • Mizuno herself was a ballet dancer and trained at the Royal Ballet School before dancing with companies including English National Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet and Scottish Ballet.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 July 2026
  • And going back to movies, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael turned a cinema screening into a concert-like experience, with viewers singing, dancing and transforming the theater into an impromptu dance floor.
    — Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of dancing

Browse Nearby Words

flickery
flicking
flicking (off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flicking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flicking. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of flicking for Spanish Speakers

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