1
as in flurry
a sudden and usually temporary growth of activity
the site saw a flutter of construction last month, but nothing's happening now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chance
chiefly British
a risky undertaking
most people regard the lottery as a harmless flutter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to flit
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
a lonely butterfly fluttering across the lawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flap
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
fluttered my eyelashes as I struck up a conversation with the new guy at work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 flutter
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Every flutter, shrug or outburst dials up the tension one more unbearable notch, till finally Gardner’s Yermolái bursts in with terrible news.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
Our bodies go about their business, but our deeper selves flutter, like those blind moths, into that dim waiting room and linger until some inscrutable opening is granted us to start living again.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flutter
Noun
The outfit featured the designer’s Rebellion Frayed corset and Rebellion Fray flutter blouse with a custom skirt by Candice Cuoco.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Every flutter, shrug or outburst dials up the tension one more unbearable notch, till finally Gardner’s Yermolái bursts in with terrible news.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.
—Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
Our bodies go about their business, but our deeper selves flutter, like those blind moths, into that dim waiting room and linger until some inscrutable opening is granted us to start living again.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flutter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flutter
Noun
-
Golden State pulled away from there, keeping the pesky Wizards at bay with a flurry of 3-pointers and free throws.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In the franchise’s inaugural game on March 14 in San Jose, a flurry of impressive saves kept Denver in it until the final whistle, despite the club playing a woman down for most of the match after Janine Sonis was sent off in the 26th minute.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Big Ten had a league-record six teams reach the Sweet 16 and now has tied the tournament record with four teams in the Elite Eight, increasing its chances of breaking through for the league's first title in more than a quarter-century.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Participants get to try countless varieties of wine and get the chance to meet the growers themselves.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
On the waterfront, saffron finches flit between yellow shutters and almond trees.—
Stephanie Rafanelli,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The American always had the engine and work rate to flit between defensive and attacking duties in a central midfield berth.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
View gallery - 7 images A wooden dragon sculpture that gently flaps its wings has become a crowd-funding hit, but after seeing the traditional handcrafted work that's been put into every single model, making each one unique, the value of such a piece becomes strikingly clear.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In that last year — like the end of a fireworks show — the lawyers set off a burst of filings and arguments over what evidence and which experts could go in front of a jury.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Such districts are often formed when a school district is experiencing a burst of development or enrollment growth concentrated in certain areas, explained Erica Gonzales, a managing director at the investment bank Stifel who specializes in California school financing.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Heading into the season, however, the gamble was paying off — news of her casting was met with fan excitement and a preview of the season that aired after the Oscars drew more than 5 million viewers.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Rizzo was arguably even a bigger gamble than Crow-Armstrong, who has 41 homers and 141 RBIs in 294 games as a Cub through Thursday, not to mention a Gold Glove and a starting appearance in an All-Star Game.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stop by the hummingbird garden, where 14 species of petite, fairylike birds dart from plant to plant, sipping nectar from native blooms.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
There was the usual assemblage of male and female Anna’s and just a couple of the Allen’s darting out occasionally from the sanctuary of the nearby tree to drink nectar from the hanging feeders.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In the future, Doral Hydrogen is also looking to replicate this off-grid model across its 1 GW global portfolio by proving that H2Pro’s hardware can handle the flicker of solar power without breaking.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The show struggles to illuminate the relationships between the characters or anything at all about Benton, from what his job actually is to even a flicker of a personality.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flutter. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
