Definition of palpitatenext
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. 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
  • The collection consists of the sneaker brand’s UNO sneakers (which, PSA, are a fab Nike Air Max alternative), Arch Fit, and Slip-Ins—all of which include some of the most impressive cushioning and support, so your feet won’t throb after standing for hours in a field.
    Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2026
  • The smoke kept rising and the clouds continued to throb with sickly yellow-and-black whorls until just after sunset, when the boiling mass of vapor suddenly turned pink and scarlet, like a poisonous flower opening its petals.
    New York Times, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Tim Brinkhof Million Stories Many were expecting extremism survivor and free speech advocate Salman Rushdie to take home the Nobel Prize in Literature, but Annie Ernaux beat him to it.
    Big Think, Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Mikael Granlund scored twice, Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Thursday night.
    CBS News, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Basically, how fast a sound source vibrates.
    Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Other researchers soon realized that his formula, now known as the Veneziano amplitude, implied that hadrons aren’t particles, but vibrating strings.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The gratification was immediate; tears glistened on fans’ cheeks as the lights pulsed on stage.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
  • On a stretch of White Plains Road, a few blocks from the Allerton Avenue train station in the Bronx, there once stood a building that pulsed like a second heart for New York City’s hip-hop generation.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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