flitter

as in to flit
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements the birds flittered back and forth between the backyard feeder and the safety of the trees

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 flitter There might be a butterfly flittering about barren aspen trunks. Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025 Ringo was yellow submarines and octopus gardens, the mascot little brother, despite being the eldest Beatle, and the best at flittering above the feuds that afflicted the trio of geniuses around him. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025 Coaches and friends flitter in and out. Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025 The unexpected sight of the little orange carp flittering around in a glorified puddle was everywhere, a social-media must-post, a Walden surrounded by concrete at a corner known as the Bed-Stuy Aquarium. The Editors, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2024 As a result Rose flittered on the periphery of the game but was never readmitted to it. Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024 Ringo was yellow submarines and octopus gardens, the mascot little brother, despite being the eldest Beatle, and the best at flittering above the feuds that afflicted the trio of geniuses around him. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025 Our attention constantly jumps from one flittering speck to the next, and the storm of activity blocks our view of the whole sphere. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025 My eyes gleefully flittered among the many gilded furnishings, opulent light fixtures, and damask wall treatments. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 7 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flitter
Verb
  • The first segment, under the Las Vegas Convention Center, was completed in 2021, but instead of city denizens flitting across the city, convention-goers are simply driven by humans in normal Teslas through a fairly standard road tunnel.
    Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 July 2025
  • Bieber’s catalogue is searching and uneven, flitting between glossy renditions of trap-pop, mid-tempo R. & B., eighties new wave, campfire Christian sing-alongs, Afrobeat, and dancehall, his slick, supple voice skimming the surface of these styles while never committing to any of them.
    Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 16 July 2025
Verb
  • Joao Pedro took 12 touches in the first half of the Milan game, mainly concerned with occupying defenders, making darting runs and being alert when the ball came his way.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The cat spooks, darting under a pile of debris that was once a house.
    Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Stock image: Three U.S. flags flutter on a white fence in a California neighborhood.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The force of McBride’s arrival rattled the uprights, sending the orange flags at their tops fluttering.
    Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 31 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Flitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flitter. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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