as in to throb
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the heart muscle pulsates regularly to pump blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pulsate The book, by Marco Ramirez, rigs a narrative between the album’s recording and the club’s last hurrah, and at the show’s heart are songs from the album, many of them pulsating Cuban standards rich in subtext. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025 The 1994 hit, known for its pulsating synths and provocative lyrics, is one of Nine Inch Nails’ most recognizable songs, charting in the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and leaving an impact on rock and electronic music. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2025 More a feature than a duet, but John’s emphatic vocals here pair well with the Gorillaz pulsating sound. Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 Getty Images News | Getty Images British national Tony Cross first set foot in Singapore in 1992, when the city-state’s main draws were its glitzy malls, the pulsating Zouk nightclub and the renowned Singapore Zoo. Kevin Lim, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pulsate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulsate
Verb
  • President Trump, some of his cabinet members and his adviser Elon Musk sat ringside in Miami late Saturday night at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event — a spectacle of violence, throbbing music and cheering crowds that the president has long admired.
    Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Migraines commonly cause dizziness, nausea, throbbing pain on one side of the head and increased sensitivity to light.
    Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The extraordinary source material is a profound inspiration to build a unique world that vibrates with life and death at the same time.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
  • Many ultrasonic cool mist humidifiers—humidifiers that vibrate to make mist—can lower water mineralization and bacterial growth.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Winter Park beat Miami Southwest to win the FHSAA Class 3A boys volleyball state championship and become the first program in the sport to win three titles in a span of four seasons.
    Bill Kemp, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
  • Mater Dei rallied to beat Peninsula 20-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-19 in Division 2.
    Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • In a food processor, pulse the strawberries until partially smooth with some chunks, 5–10 pulses.
    Adam and Toby Diltz, Saveur, 1 May 2025
  • The Nashville singer-songwriter waited a full day with the high-pitched, pulsing sound before calling her doctor to check her ears.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pulsate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulsate. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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