as in to throb
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the man's heart began to palpitate, and he feared another attack was coming on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 palpitate The Broad palpitated with energy. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025 The finale had the impossible task of putting the monstrous show to an unquiet grave, and while some storylines seemed rushed and others completely ignored, even everyone’s least favorite season of GOT is heart palpitating. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025 Representing heart-palpitating romance is the main storyline: the passion of Megha’s son Naveen (Carol Mazhuvancheril) for his boyfriend, Keshav (Noah Israel), a fellow Hindu who happens to be Caucasian. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2023 The matte, phosphorescent sigils painted onto his robe appeared to palpitate in the low light. Kent Russell, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 In one of the raciest vignettes, a man buys and eats fresh dumplings on a train, intermittently palpitating his sore gums with his fingers. Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 8 May 2020 Angelica Hernández’s heart hasn’t stopped palpitating for a week. Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2020 Angelica Hernández's heart hasn't stopped palpitating for a week. Author: Arelis R. Hernández, Cristina Corujo, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Jan. 2020 The past three seasons, their games were marked by palpitating comebacks. New York Times, 23 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpitate
Verb
  • President Trump, some of his cabinet members and his adviser Elon Musk sat ringside in Miami late Saturday night at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event — a spectacle of violence, throbbing music and cheering crowds that the president has long admired.
    Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Migraines commonly cause dizziness, nausea, throbbing pain on one side of the head and increased sensitivity to light.
    Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Winter Park beat Miami Southwest to win the FHSAA Class 3A boys volleyball state championship and become the first program in the sport to win three titles in a span of four seasons.
    Bill Kemp, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
  • Mater Dei rallied to beat Peninsula 20-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-19 in Division 2.
    Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The extraordinary source material is a profound inspiration to build a unique world that vibrates with life and death at the same time.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
  • Many ultrasonic cool mist humidifiers—humidifiers that vibrate to make mist—can lower water mineralization and bacterial growth.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In a food processor, pulse the strawberries until partially smooth with some chunks, 5–10 pulses.
    Adam and Toby Diltz, Saveur, 1 May 2025
  • The Nashville singer-songwriter waited a full day with the high-pitched, pulsing sound before calling her doctor to check her ears.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitate. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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