as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
bargain hunters at the flea market flitted from table to table like hummingbirds in a garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flitting
Hammond is flitting around the festival wearing a button-up shirt embroidered with the word SWEAT.
—
Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
Watch for Carolina chickadees flitting through trees.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 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
But how bats can tell which echo to follow while flitting around in a sea of overlapping and competing signals pinging off the myriad surfaces in their environments has been a mystery—until now.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
At ease everywhere from flitting free jazz to looser, funkier textures, Allen abides, insistent but never overbearing on a session well worth the wait.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
That Cody Balmer avowed the Palestinian cause in his call to 911, despite no prior connection to it, fits the general pattern, since that’s what was flitting across his screens.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
At its center is a 30-foot ferris wheel with twirling elements including a sun and moon, and 28 mechanical butterflies with beating wings flitting among colorful flowers.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Madeline Leung Coleman, Curbed, 25 Feb. 2026
Watch for Carolina chickadees flitting through trees.
—Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 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
But how bats can tell which echo to follow while flitting around in a sea of overlapping and competing signals pinging off the myriad surfaces in their environments has been a mystery—until now.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026
At ease everywhere from flitting free jazz to looser, funkier textures, Allen abides, insistent but never overbearing on a session well worth the wait.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
That Cody Balmer avowed the Palestinian cause in his call to 911, despite no prior connection to it, fits the general pattern, since that’s what was flitting across his screens.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
At its center is a 30-foot ferris wheel with twirling elements including a sun and moon, and 28 mechanical butterflies with beating wings flitting among colorful flowers.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flitting
Verb
-
The singer-songwriter’s second album spotlights her wayward, darting mind and steadily droning guitar, with help from a constellation of fellow indie rockers from New York City and the Hudson Valley.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
3 Mar. 2026
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Testifying in his own defense, Tyler said Wofford pointed a gun at him, her finger on the trigger, hands slightly shaking and eyes darting.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Since then, Spears has largely used Instagram to communicate with fans, frequently posting solo videos of herself dancing.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Kate Middleton's busy day in Leicester, England, has so far included dancing with worshippers barefoot and paying subtle tribute (via her earrings) to her husband Prince William.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flitting. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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