flutter 1 of 2

noun

Definition of flutternext
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

flutter

2 of 2

verb

ˈflə-tər How to pronounce flutter (audio)
1
as in to flit
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements a lonely butterfly fluttering across the lawn

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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
Noun
Over six months, recurrent atrial fibrillation or flutter occurred less frequently in the coffee group than in the abstinence group. — Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Plastic waste flutters and settles into gulches, catches in the fencing. — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
Verb
But no sooner did the words leave his mouth than the man’s eyelids fluttered open. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 Of course, her arms matched the uninterrupted movement of her hair, fluttering in front of the cameras. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flutter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flutter
  1. flurry
  2. chance
  3. flit
  4. flap
  5. burst
  6. gamble
  7. dart
  8. flicker
Noun
  • Beijing has hosted a flurry of global leaders this year, while major economies have struggled to slow a surge of imports from China.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Instead, the late-breaking 9th Circuit decisions spurred a flurry of confusion and conjecture just hours before polls were set to open in the country’s most populous state.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of flurry
Noun
  • Jackson’s campaign amounted to a reset for Democrats and a chance to contest Maine without all the political baggage that came with Platner’s candidacy.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Even if a site included in a Tentative List is not nominated during one evaluatory round, there’s always a chance in the future that it may be added back to the list and considered for a nomination.
    — Karina Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of chance
Verb
  • Fireflies flit along her path, guiding her toward the safety of her parents’ outstretched arms.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, flit between the two productions.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flit
Verb
  • From then on, whenever UV light hits the patch, its electrical resistance drops for a moment, and a small onboard chip responds by blinking an LED or flapping the wings.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026
  • No blemish can be ignored, no extra ounce of flesh can be left flapping.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of flap
Noun
  • The chemical and environmental engineers found a way to transform tough composite waste into high-value manufacturing materials using a brief burst of extreme heat.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Still a low-churn environment The burst of optimism, however, comes with some caveats.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • The Caller’s loss of donors exposes how much of a gamble this has been.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Its Arizona operation is the result of a pre-pandemic gamble Phoenix made to revive its sluggish economy, which never quite rebounded from the Great Recession.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of gamble
Verb
  • Raymond darted 39 yards on the play — which officially counted as a run — to set up D’Andre Swift’s game-sealing touchdown.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Reacting to the obstacle darting out into the road, the bus driver hit the brakes, sending passengers tumbling.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of dart
Noun
  • What a bravura little moment for Sarah Lancashire in this scene, as surprise, irritation, and resignation flicker across her face.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Yet Rafael, willing and even eager to die for his antifascist principles, returns Sebastián’s gaze without flinching, and with a sense of rebuke that is complicated by unspoken yet unmistakable flickers of desire.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of flicker

Browse Nearby Words

flutists
flutter
fluttered
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Cite this Entry

“Flutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flutter. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flutter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flutter

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