fluttered

verb

past tense of flutter
1
as in darted
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements a lonely butterfly fluttering across the lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flapped
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 fluttered This isn't the first time a butterfly motif has fluttered, so to speak, into Larsson's glam routine. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026 Cassettes fluttered, CDs skipped, and choosing a dozen albums for a trip meant leaving dozens more behind. — New Atlas, 23 June 2026 Dozens of butterflies, likely variable checkerspots with hints of yellow and red on their wings, fluttered all around. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 Cars honked their horns and cyclists pulled over to tune in as flags fluttered in the wind, fans clambered to see the screen, and people hugged and shouted. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 June 2026 On Monday afternoon, bumblebees and butterflies fluttered from flower to flower, while deer and raccoon tracks were printed into the dirt trails, still wet from this weekend’s rain. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026 The two were often seen with what appeared to be unwashed, exposed roots that fluttered into beach waves down their backs. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 June 2026 The next day, a black flag fluttered by the hospital entrance to mourn those killed. — ABC News, 7 June 2026 Advertisement Crossing an overpass into my western suburb of Baghdad, militia flags stamped with Ali Khamenei’s face fluttered in the wind. — Nabil Salih, Time, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluttered
  1. darted
  2. flapped
  3. flitted
  4. danced
  5. flicked
Verb
  • His plan worked, and the bear darted to the side of the road before disappearing back into the woods.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Children played with buscaniguas, small chasing firecrackers that darted unpredictably across the ground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of darted
Verb
  • On the touchline, MacPhee flapped his arms in frustration.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 23 June 2026
  • The jacket hugged every contour of your torso and never flapped in the wind.
    — The Editors, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of flapped
Verb
  • The Spanish, who had at first just flitted along the coast in their galleons, had begun marching inland and overland from Mexico with crosses and soldiers and soldiers’ families.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Another trio flitted about the main kitchen.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026
Definition of flitted
Verb
  • Geisel is one such figure, a man with a meteoric rise who revolutionized children’s literature and danced across many sides of political controversy.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Dance danced away with the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of danced
Verb
  • Then the movie ended, and someone flicked the lights, and people wiped their faces and checked their apps and the door opened for a chilly evening breeze.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
  • An Argentine corner kick went long across the Cape Verde box after being flicked on and Lissandro Martínez was stationed at the far post.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
Definition of flicked

Browse Nearby Words

flutter
fluttered
fluttering
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fluttered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluttered. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fluttered

Nglish: Translation of fluttered for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All