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
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
Surprisingly, there are plenty of birds soaring, skittering, and swooping in the air at this time of year.
—Kier Holmes, Martha Stewart, 18 Jan. 2026
My nights were filled with the thumping of someone else’s dirty clothes and the feeling of something skittering across my leg.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The trout went nuts over the little black mice skittering on the ice, so Olthuis kept the camera going while Cort hooked fish after fish.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2025
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
Surprisingly, there are plenty of birds soaring, skittering, and swooping in the air at this time of year.
—Kier Holmes, Martha Stewart, 18 Jan. 2026
My nights were filled with the thumping of someone else’s dirty clothes and the feeling of something skittering across my leg.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The failure of Hollywood’s first take on Godzilla, which reimagined this towering icon into a skittering lizard that was clearly aping more from Jurassic Park than any of the kaiju films that came before it, positioned the start of Godzilla’s third era as something of a return to form.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
The trout went nuts over the little black mice skittering on the ice, so Olthuis kept the camera going while Cort hooked fish after fish.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittering
Verb
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But here from West Palm Beach’s cheap seats, people scurrying inside glass conjures up those halcyon summers of magnifying glasses, ants and mean kids.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Someone walking outside paused for a second, taking a closer look, before scurrying on their way.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nazar and Bertuzzi failed to convert on a two-on-none breakaway, but Nazar quickly grabbed the loose puck and found a darting Lardis to even the score at 1.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Everyone’s eyes were darting around the room.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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From there, a user named Vega turned it into a TikTok dance video that exploded — people duplicating themselves on screen, one version performing, the other dancing behind them.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
One scene shows the comedian, dressed in a white suit, dancing on a stage in front of a crowd as sparklers go off.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittering. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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