as in scurrying
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 skittering
At the center of its narrative is a spiderish monster, all sticks and sockets, appearing briefly before skittering back to its hole.
—
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Of course, the prospect of one of the greatest women’s footballers in history skittering around Bromley on a Saturday lunchtime in front of a smattering of fans inevitably inspires sneers.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 May 2026
JWords takes a different tack on Sound Therapy, embracing gentle synth melodies and pads that take the edge off her skittering drums and pounding basslines.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
All the scooter-sharing stations were empty on that day, and many of the robots we’d been told to expect skittering around the streets had stayed home to keep their sensors dry.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 4 May 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
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
Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off the far post for his first goal of the season.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off Quick's far post for his first goal of the season.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Of course, the prospect of one of the greatest women’s footballers in history skittering around Bromley on a Saturday lunchtime in front of a smattering of fans inevitably inspires sneers.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 May 2026
JWords takes a different tack on Sound Therapy, embracing gentle synth melodies and pads that take the edge off her skittering drums and pounding basslines.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
All the scooter-sharing stations were empty on that day, and many of the robots we’d been told to expect skittering around the streets had stayed home to keep their sensors dry.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 4 May 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
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
Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off the far post for his first goal of the season.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off Quick's far post for his first goal of the season.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittering
Verb
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No rest for the weary (or, in her case, the never-worn), Maxine straightens her unblemished aqua blue attire, hustles her heeled feet over to the receiver, and picks up a fresh piece of gossip — gossip that sends her scurrying back out on her next errand.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Some also hurled several glass containers filled with a blue substance, which sent event attendees scurrying toward the entrance to the hall.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Everyone else is darting glances back and forth between us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
An incredible moment of individual quality saw Messi turn a hapless Josko Gvardiol inside out, before darting to the byline to cut the ball back for Julian Alvarez to score.—
John Muller,
New York Times,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Roswell visitors spent the weekend surrounded by fluttering wings, native plants, and hands-on learning as the Chattahoochee Nature Center kicked off its annual Flying Colors Butterfly Festival.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
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Video showed the Israeli flag fluttering from atop the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle while black smoke billowed from the nearby town of Arnoun.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
31 May 2026
Verb
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There’s also a quintet of dancing poodles named Lollipups.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
11 Dec. 2025
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In the sporty video, McRae is seen dancing in a hockey rink, doing splits at the front desk and riding around on a Zamboni.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittering. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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