as in flitting
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
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Recent Examples of flittering
Acknowledging that the debt-forgiveness fairy isn’t flittering in the wings on graduation day calls for careful assessment of college plans, dreams, and reality.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flittering
Verb
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Here’s what to do to get rid of pesky moths flitting around indoors.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2026
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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
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Chirring insects, cool eels, darting dice snakes in the Volga delta.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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The footage ends as the officer glances back toward the bench where the suspect was supposed to be handcuffed, before giving chase, with two other officers quickly darting out from behind the reception desk to join her.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The metallic silver dress featured dense sequins, subtle corsetry through the waist, and a fluttering midiskirt that shifted with movement.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
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With 10 minutes to spare before a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and Lamar Boulevard, at least 50 protesters were already showing up with drums, saxophones, homemade signs and fluttering American flags to protest ICE's killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Widening his friend circle and going out dancing.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Hundreds of Senegalese gathered for a public viewing in the area historically called Little Senegal in Harlem, then spilled into the streets waving flags, singing and dancing in an informal parade late into the night.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flittering. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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