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
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Recent Examples of flitting
The report said the ultra wealthy are more mobile than ever, buying homes around the world and flitting from city to city more frequently.
—
Robert Frank, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Although the Marshallese players were mostly stone-faced, their eyes—briefly flitting over to the crowd and the many cameras that followed them onto the field—belied both their excitement and anxiety at the gravity of the moment.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 21 Apr. 2026
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Chace Crawford catapulted to fame playing the scheming social butterflies flitting around Gossip Girl's Upper East Side.
—Rachel Desantis, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Spring's warmth is settling in across southern Michigan, and hummingbirds will soon be flitting about the state.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Fittingly, Daniel Pemberton’s score has that same sense of free-ranging curiosity, flitting between genres at will.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But few teams bring a nastier one-two wallop than the Lakers, who kept the forward busy flitting back and forth between Dončić and LeBron James.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Robert Frank, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Although the Marshallese players were mostly stone-faced, their eyes—briefly flitting over to the crowd and the many cameras that followed them onto the field—belied both their excitement and anxiety at the gravity of the moment.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 21 Apr. 2026
This commentary was not from a wonkish TikToker nor a network pundit but from TMZ, the merciless purveyor of celebrity dirt, which published the images of Graham after a citizen vacationer noticed the senator flitting through the theme park and sent pictures.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Chace Crawford catapulted to fame playing the scheming social butterflies flitting around Gossip Girl's Upper East Side.
—Rachel Desantis, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
Spring's warmth is settling in across southern Michigan, and hummingbirds will soon be flitting about the state.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Fittingly, Daniel Pemberton’s score has that same sense of free-ranging curiosity, flitting between genres at will.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
But few teams bring a nastier one-two wallop than the Lakers, who kept the forward busy flitting back and forth between Dončić and LeBron James.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flitting
Verb
-
The streaker managed to dodge several security guards, darting onto the iconic steps before being tackled and escorted off the premises.—
Alyssa Modos,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
-
The others seem to be darting about.—
Andy Court,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Kick your legs in small up-and-down fluttering motions while keeping your lower back flat and abs tight throughout.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Video from the scene hours after the fire first erupted showed ash fluttering through the air and burned paper in the yards of homes across the street from the warehouse.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even in the midst of that sweltering Lagos day of thumping car music and raucous engines and the truck that honked at her for dancing too close, Miriam’s squeal stood out, a siren.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
As the beat dropped, the friends jumped into action — tossing pink flower petals, dancing and laughing before embracing at a glam station.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flitting. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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