as in to scurry
to move quickly and lightly along a surface
Dry leaves skittered over the sidewalk. Mice skittered across the floor.
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Recent Examples of skitter
Ice crystals skittered across the plateau, catching in the curve of the sastrugi before blowing free.
—
Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Mites, even when skittering in proximity to your eyeballs, are a totally normal part of your skin’s microbiome, feeding on oil and dead skin cells inside hair follicles.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of skittering off, the hot droplets start sticking and seeping into the surface texture, and leave wet patches behind.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026
Mites, even when skittering in proximity to your eyeballs, are a totally normal part of your skin’s microbiome, feeding on oil and dead skin cells inside hair follicles.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of skittering off, the hot droplets start sticking and seeping into the surface texture, and leave wet patches behind.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skitter
Verb
-
As the sky begins to open, New Yorkers scurry for cover — but 6LACK, 33, seems to be in his element.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
18 May 2026
-
In order to keep the lightweight watercraft from heeling over completely, crew members frantically scurry back and forth onto planks that are suspended out above the water on each side, rising and falling like seasick seesaws.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Harvey Barnes interjected and darted forward, crossing for Nick Woltemade, but West Ham were playing at 33rpm to Newcastle’s 45.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to serve the ICC arrest warrant, but dela Rosa darted toward a narrow stairway into the Senate plenary hall and sought the help of allied senators, who took him into protective custody.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Bar staff are dancing atop a column attempting to pour champagne down a woman’s throat.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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Memorable concerts have included a 2019 interdisciplinary arts program featuring everything from music for two pianos to dance and children’s favorites, as well as a 2020 performance celebrating the installation of the bells.—
Susan Soldavin,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Early mornings at Mukwa are quiet, with mist rising off the river and birds flitting along the river bank.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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Their father, Nahuel (Amién), flits from one romantic affair to another, failing to recognize his shortcomings the way fathers typically forget minor yet significant details, like mistaking his younger daughter’s shoe size or never delivering on his promise to have the sink fixed.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Elke and Alysia started seeing the big bugs fluttering around in late April, and as their numbers grew through early May, the native rainbows started keying in on them more and more.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
-
No one enjoys finding moths fluttering around the flour or tiny caterpillars crawling in the cereal.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skitter. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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