as in throbs
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-patters
Verb
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My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026 -
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jean-Sebastien Giguere stops 35 shots for his third straight shutout, and Anaheim beats Minnesota 4-0 for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new laptop.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Every night the Dallas Stars host playoff games, the area in and around the American Airlines Center vibrates with activity, commerce and life.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
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Inside, standing 43 inches tall, a silver speaker from Takahiro Miyashita’s brand TheSoloist vibrates high fidelity through the showroom.—
Samantha Lee
Connect
April 17,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Though rooted in the past, the film pulses with an urgency that feels entirely present.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 May 2026
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There’s a small LED indicator on the top of the device that pulses white when the sensor is ready for setup, briefly glows red when motion is detected, and briefly flashes green and blue during a reset.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pitter-patters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-patters. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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