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
The Georgian winger then held his shot, instead scampering past Mamardashvili before calmly slotting the ball into the net.
—
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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 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
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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 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
-
Far from the mortal enemies they are destined to become, the pair become friends and combine sleuthing skills to try and solve a globe-trotting mystery that unfolds over the eight episodes.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Sherlock’s first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
First, Rockies second baseman Edouard Julien fielded a grounder by Machado and, with Machado jogging down the line anticipating a sure out, Julien bounced the throw that Troy Johnston could not handle.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In other words, the tech is sprinting ahead, but the infrastructure is jogging behind.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her car was parked nearby and the engine was running.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 2006, Lamont, fueled by his personal fortune and some savvy political advisers, visited local Democratic party committees and immersed himself in the drudgery of running a statewide campaign.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No point hurrying toward a resolution that was always receding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Scampering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scampering. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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