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
  • Financial markets throbbed with a panoply of new financial institutions — hedge funds — trading new financial instruments — derivative securities — the values of which were tied to still other financial instruments like home mortgages.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
  • Batteries of loudspeakers throbbed with a song whose refrain has become a catchphrase for those who want Mr. Yoon ousted.
    Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In the semis, Parenteau turned back the clock and played a solid game to beat Buckner and return to the final for the first time in nearly a year.
    Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Almost daily, the news has stories and videos of people being robbed or beaten in Baltimore, shot and killed, or simply being harassed.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • The controls are great, with flipper buttons, a plunger, and nudge buttons that include a vibrating rumble.
    Simon Hill, Wired News, 26 June 2025
  • Being able to connect with it… something vibrated within me.
    Ayan Artan, Vogue, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Joel Alfonso Vargas brings raw authenticity and lyrical vision to a coming-of-age story that pulses with life and urgency.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 July 2025
  • Cassandra Whitaker’s debut is a sequence that moves like a long poem, pulsing with the motif of the wolf; individual poems are often split in columns or forged in prose with slashes rather than punctuation or line breaks.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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