1
as in teasing
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
the servers at that restaurant flirt with all the customers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
lazily watched the butterflies flirting among the wildflowers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 flirting
Sunday morning will be in the 30s and flirting with the freezing line for some of the outer counties.
—
Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
The 20-foot walls are hung salon-style with gilt frames surrounding oil paintings flirting at once with modernism and Renaissance styles.
—Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Booker was linked to the model from April 2020 until June 2022, and more recently in 2026, ahead of the Super Bowl, the two exchanged comments on social media that many users sensed as flirting.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Wasserman, who is also the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is seen in the files flirting with Ghislaine Maxwell via email between 2001 and 2003.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The Russian economy, which actually grew during the first few years of the war, is now flirting with recession.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Woe be to Meta Platforms , which is now flirting with Merck's multiple, excluding its lucrative cancer drug Keytruda.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See if cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s timeline matches that of the Steelers after flirting with the possibility of a reunion last spring.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell more than 10% Thursday alone and is now down about 20% this week — a sharp reversal from last fall, when bitcoin was flirting with record highs and optimism around crypto was everywhere.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
The 20-foot walls are hung salon-style with gilt frames surrounding oil paintings flirting at once with modernism and Renaissance styles.
—Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Booker was linked to the model from April 2020 until June 2022, and more recently in 2026, ahead of the Super Bowl, the two exchanged comments on social media that many users sensed as flirting.
—Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Wasserman, who is also the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is seen in the files flirting with Ghislaine Maxwell via email between 2001 and 2003.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
The Russian economy, which actually grew during the first few years of the war, is now flirting with recession.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Woe be to Meta Platforms , which is now flirting with Merck's multiple, excluding its lucrative cancer drug Keytruda.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See if cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s timeline matches that of the Steelers after flirting with the possibility of a reunion last spring.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell more than 10% Thursday alone and is now down about 20% this week — a sharp reversal from last fall, when bitcoin was flirting with record highs and optimism around crypto was everywhere.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flirting
Verb
-
Humphrey's work consists of reviewing thousands of messages and tags, seeking permission from original video creators and balancing humor with teasing.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Netflix released a trailer on Friday teasing what’s to come from the remaining four episodes, which are set to drop on February 26.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Meta boss appeared in a dark suit and gray tie, his signature chestnut curls slightly mussed, darting occasional nervous looks at the jury and the 20-year-old plaintiff, who sat in the courtroom gallery.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Helicopter footage showed the man darting out from the wrecked Charger in a black T-shirt and white shorts.—
Jacob Beltran,
San Antonio Express-News,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Here’s what to do to get rid of pesky moths flitting around indoors.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Men have been doing it for decades, flitting between the low-brow and the high-brow without losing any of their Serious Actor sheen in the process.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The hand in motion, the fluttering scarf, the sparkling outfit.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Nothing sparks a team quite like killing off a five-on-three, and Canada scored in transition just 14 seconds after Fast was freed, as Kristin O’Neill batted in a fluttering Fast rebound for a 1-0 lead.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Watching Bedard break ankles on a nightly basis like Allen Iverson on skates, attempting one-man rushes most players couldn’t even fathom, fooling elite goaltenders with his patented drag-and-drive release, is exhilarating.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
See the scene And while a big tent on the beach packed with people downing burgers, drinking tequila or Kim Crawford wine and dancing to a DJ with a soft spot for Bad Bunny is not exactly luxurious, the black truffle remained for this event.—
Connie Ogle
Updated February 20,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Keep them tucked in for subtle, low-light intimacy, or open them fully and get everyone dancing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are also cool maps on the local prevalence of certain health conditions, from arthritis and asthma to cancer and high cholesterol to diabetes and depression to — not kidding here — where people have lost all their teeth.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flirting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flirting. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
