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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

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
Noun
Its midi length suits a wide range of occasions, and its flutter-style cap sleeves and flared A-line skirt add eye-catching volume. — Aashna Gheewalla, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 There’s even a flicker setting that emulates the dreamy flutter of a real flame. — Gear Team, Wired News, 16 June 2026
Verb
The first model emerged onto a sinuous runway in a nubuck coat paired with chiffon pants that fluttered in the breeze, revealing knee-high calfskin boots. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Planted in a mound of debris, fluttering in the unforgiving wind, was the red-and-gold Chinese flag. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 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
  • The announcements underscore Alibaba's growing push into the machinery behind the AI boom, amid a flurry of AI infrastructure investments by its Western tech peers as the race for computing power intensifies.
    — Jenny Lee,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The two Democrats have exchanged a flurry of critiques throughout the campaign.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of flurry
Noun
  • Sympathetic realism is at its wisest when novelists give readers the chance Lee offered in her first book— to love and dislike characters simultaneously.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • There is also a chance of restitution up to $5,000 and revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges nationwide.
    — Josh Kelly, Oklahoman, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of chance
Verb
  • Guests flitted around, in and out of racks filled with Skims’s big apparel and underwear hitters, and making use of the Skims photobooth.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Hofmann gives this awkwardly sized puppet life, energy and voice, controlling its body while castmates flit in and out as the manipulators of its wings.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of flit
Verb
  • That means the bird species flapping around in backyards today are effectively the only surviving dinosaurs.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Real manta rays propel themselves by rhythmically flapping and undulating their enormous pectoral fins.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of flap
Noun
  • Launched in 2004, the $364 million observatory is designed to pivot quickly -- as its name suggests -- to capture gamma ray bursts, exploding stars and other fast-breaking cosmic action.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The machines typically used to compress fuel must deliver enormous bursts of energy with exceptional precision.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • Harrow New York may be vulnerable to a similar fate, but perhaps this sort of gamble is a necessary evil to ensure Harrow’s continuity, in one form or another.
    — Ashley Baker, Vanity Fair, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The gamble certainly has paid off — for himself and Notre Dame (2-0).
    — Curt Rallo, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of gamble
Verb
  • On Thursday night, the Falcons saw Bowman dart around the field, throw his body into ball carriers and get his hands on passes.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Sam Levy’s editing likewise darts associatively between these moods, seemingly letting sense memory shape the chronology of proceedings.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of dart
Noun
  • Piazza said she was forced to call a landscaper after the vines from next door grew around her power lines, causing her lights to flicker and her cable to go out.
    — Liz Crawford, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The first flickers of life beamed images from the Bloomberg network of a New York building on fire.
    — Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 11 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flutter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flutter

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