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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That’s why my leg is throbbing.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026 -
The book club regularly meets to discuss romance novels in all their sticky, sweaty, throbbing passions.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Point Loma Nazarene’s women’s basketball team improved to 14-4 and climbed back on top of the PacWest Conference standings with a 10-2 mark after beating Azusa Pacific (80-55) and contender Vanguard (59-57) last week.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the final, Black & Alshon threw down the gauntlet, beating the top pair in three straight for gold.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The island's stunning Blue Lagoon starkly contrasts tropical shores vibrating with life during the rainier months.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2026
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Someone’s phone is always vibrating, a gimmick that often strikes me as contrived in a movie-movie but feels totally normalized in a reality-movie like The Moment.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The area, once home to a vibrant Black community known as Freedman’s Town, is now a mix of residential and commercial high-rise towers, pulsing nightlife and pricey townhomes.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
31 Jan. 2026
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Using this response, Appelbaum defined a sleep-like state in jellyfish as pulsing fewer than 37 times per minute for over three minutes, and eight minutes or more of stillness in sea anemones.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 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 7 Feb. 2026.
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