as in throbbing
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Dissimilar Words
as in pulsing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the heart muscle pulsates regularly to pump blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pulsating
ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
To experience the city’s culture at its most pulsating, visit during the annual Carnaval de Limón in October.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025
The relentlessly pulsating tempo of the record is tailor-made for the most full-throttle parts of 5SOS’ live show.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
More intense arrangements use pulsating choral music for high-stakes moments.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 June 2026
As Patrick Mahomes broke a huddle Wednesday afternoon, a booming speaker pulsating music onto the Chiefs’ training field, the actual soundtrack of the practice, belted out an instruction.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Rio is complex and passionate, effervescent, and pulsating.
—Roberto Prieto, Variety, 4 June 2026
Across a pulsating 120 minutes, the two teams shared eight goals in an afternoon of drama containing the additional plotline of lifelong Sunderland fan Clive Mendonca netting a hat-trick for the Londoners.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Inside – which is to say, some hundred or so yards from here, at the center of the city block that had become a pulsating sea of blue and orange – the New York Knicks were in the midst of a stunning comeback to snag Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Marion Cotillard has one of the most intense roles of her career in Guillaume Canet‘s pulsating French thriller Karma, premiering out of competition tonight at the Cannes Film Festival, where the star has made many appearances and has two films this year in the official selection.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 May 2026
SeaWorld San Diego will host a nighttime spectacular with 600 aerial drones this summer that will light up the sky over Mission Bay with towering images of breaching whales, pulsating jellyfish and flipping dolphins.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Adjective
However, the 10 men kept plugging away in what was a pulsating end-to-end encounter and got a goal back after 68 minutes when Casemiro bulleted a header past Karl Darlow from a Ruben Fernandes cross.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
To experience the city’s culture at its most pulsating, visit during the annual Carnaval de Limón in October.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025
The relentlessly pulsating tempo of the record is tailor-made for the most full-throttle parts of 5SOS’ live show.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
Onlookers gathered around the makeshift field, which had no clear outer bounds, as the pulsating drumming and anti-ICE chants led by Lxs Tigres del NorthEnd (an independent LAFC supporter group) filled the air.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
More intense arrangements use pulsating choral music for high-stakes moments.
—Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 June 2026
As Patrick Mahomes broke a huddle Wednesday afternoon, a booming speaker pulsating music onto the Chiefs’ training field, the actual soundtrack of the practice, belted out an instruction.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Rio is complex and passionate, effervescent, and pulsating.
—Roberto Prieto, Variety, 4 June 2026
Across a pulsating 120 minutes, the two teams shared eight goals in an afternoon of drama containing the additional plotline of lifelong Sunderland fan Clive Mendonca netting a hat-trick for the Londoners.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 May 2026
Inside – which is to say, some hundred or so yards from here, at the center of the city block that had become a pulsating sea of blue and orange – the New York Knicks were in the midst of a stunning comeback to snag Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Marion Cotillard has one of the most intense roles of her career in Guillaume Canet‘s pulsating French thriller Karma, premiering out of competition tonight at the Cannes Film Festival, where the star has made many appearances and has two films this year in the official selection.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 May 2026
SeaWorld San Diego will host a nighttime spectacular with 600 aerial drones this summer that will light up the sky over Mission Bay with towering images of breaching whales, pulsating jellyfish and flipping dolphins.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pulsating
Adjective
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The throbbing track is named for the New York nightclub where Madonna and Mazar met more than four decades ago.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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Finally, the wistful McCartney interview was interrupted by the opening of a throbbing, green portal in the studio.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
22 May 2026
Verb
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When a mysterious Signal begins pulsing out near Pluto, the world goes still, leaving the skies open for what is believed to be first contact with extraterrestrials.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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Hidden inside the orb, an antenna rotates while pulsing electromagnetic waves into the distance, waiting for a faint bounce to arrive back in the dish.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Relevant, heart-palpitating, thoughtful, emotional, tense, thrilling, devastating and joyful.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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By the time Wachowski returned to the stage alongside Tilly, Gershon, Pantoliano, and Meloni, the room was practically vibrating with the adrenaline only a cult classic can inspire when its rabid fans finally find one another in the wild.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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Various speculations about the cheating accusations began to spread, including one that involved Niemann using vibrating anal beads to signal the best moves.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
Verb
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As shoppers gear up for their European summer sojourns, brands are beating the tourist rush and setting up shop across the continent with temporary seasonal stores, beach club pop-ups and limited-time activations to capture the attention and dollars of the high-spending set.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
8 June 2026
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Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pulsating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pulsating. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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