1
as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
a lonely butterfly fluttering across the lawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flapping
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
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Recent Examples of fluttering
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
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026
The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.
—Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fluttering
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
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026
The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.
—Addie Citchens, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fluttering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluttering
Verb
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Like a vibrantly hued snake darting down the narrow branch of a tree, the collective of high-performance automobiles rapidly navigates the narrow, serpentine artery along the Northeastern Italian coast, a quicksilver-like tracing of the border between Il Bel Paese and Slovenia.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
11 May 2026
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And so quickly darting into the air on seats supported by scaffolding is not an easy proposition for the mind to overcome.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The place is a sound-effects recording studio, with three sound designers creating and dubbing aural effects — footsteps on a sandy beach, flapping bird wings — onto pieces of film footage.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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The tents were flapping about in two or three feet of water.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In the garden, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and butterflies can be found flitting among the dazzling blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
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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
Verb
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Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid found the beat during the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday afternoon, dancing its way to an electric seven-minute standing ovation.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Now that linear television is about as hip as dancing the Charleston, it’s sort of faded in relevance, but leave it to Bravo, which sometimes feels like the last cable channel standing, to turn it into a big deal.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The dragons stalk the island, flicking their huge tongues in hopes of picking up the scent of a deer, wild boar, or water buffalo — the latter two species introduced by humans — or rodents and other smaller reptiles, including baby Komodo dragons.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
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This could be the bookworm equivalent of jet setting, perhaps—seeking out the places we’re taken to while flicking the pages.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fluttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluttering. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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