as in throbbed
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
her heart pit-a-patted with surprise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pit-a-patted
Verb
-
Her hand and arm cramped, her shoulder ached, and her knee throbbed, all while the rain soaked through their clothes.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026 -
The upper blocks throbbed and pulsed a deep blue, reflecting the pond’s windblown currents.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Suns then tied the game at 94-94 after Jordan Goodwin beat the buzzer with a corner triple to end the period.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keller stymies defending champ Coppell Claire Garritson scored the game-winning goal in the second half and Keller hung on to beat defending state champion Coppell 2-1 in the Class 6A Division 1 Region 1 Final on Tuesday night at Keller High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The gratification was immediate; tears glistened on fans’ cheeks as the lights pulsed on stage.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Tension and incredulity pulsed through Friday’s sentencing hearing, which spanned more than two hours.—
Annie Vainshtein,
San Francisco Chronicle,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The roar of the crowds gathered at the base of the 101-story building still echoed in his ears, and the thrill of scaling its ten abstract metal dragons vibrated through his body.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Even the bathrooms down the hall vibrated with rhythm.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Pit-a-patted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pit-a-patted. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
