pitter-pattering

verb

present participle of pitter-patter
as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner his heart pitter-pattered with excitement as he waited for the right moment to propose

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitter-pattering
  1. throbbing
  2. beating
  3. vibrating
  4. pulsing
Verb
  • Workers are paying for it as the people in charge mostly ignore our throbbing national headache.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026
  • When Marlowe awoke the next morning, her head was still throbbing and Declan's side was empty, the sheets lineless.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of throbbing
Verb
  • The family is also adamant that they were told by the hospital that by the time Lopez-Cornejo arrived there on Saturday, his heart was no longer beating.
    — Armando Garcia, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The Giants then pulled off one more buzzer-beating trade by flipping reliever Erik Miller for infielder and former first-rounder Marcelo Mayer, their fifth and final trade of the day.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The mouth fiddle belongs to a family of instruments that are orally modulated, lending qualities of the human voice to the sound waves emitted by a vibrating string.
    — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The wallpaper in many of the rooms was removed due to the possibility of vibrating machinery damaging the delicate paper.
    — Ben Jureidini, Vanity Fair, 21 July 2026
Definition of vibrating
Verb
  • With the high expectations and the energy pulsing through the stands, the Flock is ready for football in Charm City.
    — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • As energy continually ramps upward, the score by Maxim Lany and Jonas Nuttin moves from ominous horns to pulsing electronica, with some neat incorporation of prayer-call-like motifs underlining the hero’s Muslim faith.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
Definition of pulsing
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Pitter-pattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-pattering. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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