as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
her heart pit-a-patted with surprise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pit-a-patting
Verb
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The light bled red at Sixty-Seventh and Pacific, music throbbing through the speakers as Olivia Borsutzki relaxed her foot from the brake.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026 -
And yet, as dynasties could emerge across a number of divisions in boys hockey this postseason, none should diminish what will be yet another heart-throbbing three weeks.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After beating Atlanta last Friday without Jaylen Brown and Charlotte on Sunday without Brown and Derrick White, Boston flopped in a rematch with the Hawks, losing 112-102 without a crew of contributors headlined by a resting Jayson Tatum.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Lawson’s Blue Devils relished their March Madness at the downtown arena on Friday night, a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the corner by Ashlon Jackson to stun storied LSU in a Sweet 16 contest.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Think of an elastic band vibrating inside each particle.—
Zachary Slepian,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
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Noise colors can be high-pitched (rapidly vibrating) sounds, low-pitched (slowly vibrating) sounds, or a combination.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All through this book, what’s pulsing is your love of this thing.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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These moving leaves are chased by male villagers to the soundtrack of maracas and a pulsing drum.—
Georgina Lawton,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pit-a-patting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pit-a-patting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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