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 From the script, Pearson (Thamela Mpumlwana) suffers an asthma attack, the huffing and puffing pulsating the rhythm of the scene. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025 Many eyewitnesses described these craft-like objects as having three bright lights at each vertex and a central, red, pulsating light. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025 At times, the DJ would shut off the music pulsating across the rooftop to heighten the tense games with the sound of a thumping heartbeat. Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 The Boiler cocktail bar will serve craft cocktails beneath a power generator that looms overhead like a flaming and pulsating mechanical beast. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pulsate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulsate
Verb
  • That’s why my leg is throbbing.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The first movie squeaked by thanks largely to its creation of a CG parallel universe of neon graphics, geometric lines and throbbing grids that was genuinely innovative for its time.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That philosophy sits in sharp contrast to step-count culture, where success is visible, measurable, and shareable, where the end goal is often less about how your body feels and more about whether your tracker vibrates in approval.
    Marisa McMillan, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Designer Joe Nahem of the esteemed firm Fox-Nahem was then brought in to merge the two spaces into one wildly creative space that vibrates with color, pattern, and texture.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Plus, the buttery-soft Nulu fabric truly cannot be beat, whether you’re headed to yoga or gearing up for a long-haul flight.
    Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025
  • In May 2025, an independent investigation found that African Parks rangers had raped, beat and tortured indigenous people.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There is an undercurrent of pulsing creative energy that is meticulously refined and barely scratching its surface.
    Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The service itself pulsed with sound with horns blaring, drums pounding and voices rising in song.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pulsate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulsate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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