as in trotting
to go at a pace faster than a walk
the child scampered off to play
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Recent Examples of scampering
Radcliffe was breathlessly scampering up and down the aisles of the Hudson Theatre before the show began, enlisting audience members to be participants in the play.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
While a nor'easter blasted much of the Northeast, one of the visiting otters at the aquarium rolled on its back on the snowy deck before scampering into a running start to slide across the snow.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
High jinks ensue, including a hilarious scene in the Big Game with a scampering dog and a chariot chase.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Since his debut on the national scene as a tot scampering through in the White House — a symbol of the Kennedy administration’s youthful energy — he’d been relentlessly documented.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Arguably the state’s top dual-threat, the senior QB was a catalyst for the Knights all season long, registering 1,761 passing yards and 25 touchdowns while scampering for 974 yards on the ground to go with 14 more touchdowns.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Maye knocked out the Broncos by scampering all alone to his left on a third-down naked bootleg, Josh McDaniels’ best play-call on a day of bad weather and good defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
In the second half, there was a carbon copy of the same move, when Leno again aimed straight down the middle of the pitch to Wilson, with substitute Jorrel Hato scampering back to avoid further embarrassment.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
In comparison, trackways offer a direct snapshot of an ancient moment in time — in this case, when scores of scampering theropods crisscrossed a shoreline.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
While a nor'easter blasted much of the Northeast, one of the visiting otters at the aquarium rolled on its back on the snowy deck before scampering into a running start to slide across the snow.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
High jinks ensue, including a hilarious scene in the Big Game with a scampering dog and a chariot chase.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Since his debut on the national scene as a tot scampering through in the White House — a symbol of the Kennedy administration’s youthful energy — he’d been relentlessly documented.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
Arguably the state’s top dual-threat, the senior QB was a catalyst for the Knights all season long, registering 1,761 passing yards and 25 touchdowns while scampering for 974 yards on the ground to go with 14 more touchdowns.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Maye knocked out the Broncos by scampering all alone to his left on a third-down naked bootleg, Josh McDaniels’ best play-call on a day of bad weather and good defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
In the second half, there was a carbon copy of the same move, when Leno again aimed straight down the middle of the pitch to Wilson, with substitute Jorrel Hato scampering back to avoid further embarrassment.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
In comparison, trackways offer a direct snapshot of an ancient moment in time — in this case, when scores of scampering theropods crisscrossed a shoreline.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scampering
Verb
-
Beyond the prestige and globe-trotting lifestyle, being a pilot comes with six-figure pay, is AI-proof, and—perhaps surprisingly—requires no college degree.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
What starts out as a murder mystery set amid Oxford’s dreaming spires becomes a globe-trotting adventure with a very personal angle for Holmes and family.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These sneakers are cushioned and intensely supportive, suited for anything from roadside jogging to gym reps, to heading out for a long, leisurely walk with a friend.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Farke, 49, was shown a red card by referee Peter Bankes after jogging onto the Elland Road pitch and confronting the match officials following the 1-0 defeat.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joveljic dummied Afrifa’s cutback pass, leaving the ball for the on-running Berg Johnsen.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Including Dolezal, who is running for lieutenant governor, four of the five Republicans on the committee are running for statewide office in 2026.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of hurrying to break up tents and scatter RVs, Lee and Oakland’s interim homelessness chief Sasha Hauswald want city workers to focus on minimizing trash and human waste around encampments.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Meza Gonzalez and David Christian, one of her attorneys, refused to answer questions from reporters about the plea agreement, hurrying down a flight of stairs at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scampering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scampering. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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