palpitates

verb

present tense third-person singular of palpitate
as in throbs
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpitates
  1. throbs
  2. beats
  3. vibrates
  4. pulses
Verb
  • The first is pique, a sharp, vinegary hot sauce that throbs with the heat of Thai chiles.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The depression is a gritty-slick coating that constantly throbs against my thoughts and my insides.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of throbs
Verb
  • Outside San Antonio’s Stable Hall music venue, the Texas sun beats down on Marín and her six bandmates.
    — Zoey Goto, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Arnold Mickens rushes for more than 200 yards for the eighth consecutive game, breaking the NCAA Division I-AA single-season rushing record as Butler beats Evansville 49-14.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of beats
Verb
  • The car’s engine vibrates with the promise of bodily pleasure.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The film fairly vibrates with ominous tension even in scenes in which seemingly nothing happens.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of vibrates
Verb
  • The top also features a power button, a Wi-Fi indicator, and an LED indicator that pulses green during charging, shines solid green when the battery is fully charged, or blue when the battery is running low.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Wearables use temperature sensors, accelerometers, light sensors and photoplethysmography (PPG), which pulses light through the skin to measure blood flow, heart rate and approximate blood oxygen.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of pulses
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.

Browse Nearby Words

palpitated
palpitates
palpitating
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Cite this Entry

“Palpitates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitates. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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