1
as in agitatedly
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2
as in playfully
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Recent Examples of skittishly
The horse, not sensing any guidance on its ribcage, begins to move skittishly in tight, concentric circles.
—
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
While skittishly edited, the film nevertheless builds up Faithfull’s biography in basic chronological order.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
While skittishly edited, the film nevertheless builds up Faithfull’s biography in basic chronological order.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittishly
Adverb
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During the exchange, Lindo, 73, playfully shoved Jordan, 39, who was seated in front of him.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
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The returning favorite—which was playfully announced online in a nod to social outrage—features two crispy Original Recipe Tenders wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, and Pepper Mayo.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The Jayhawks desperately need more from their bench.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
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Under our current top-two system, Democratic candidates fight desperately for just one or two spots in November, often resorting to harsh attacks that tear down their own party.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Another surgeon recounted a case of a woman who started to bleed uncontrollably midway through surgery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
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Hydroplaning is when a vehicle starts uncontrollably sliding on wet roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
2 May 2025
Adverb
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Instead, the Slovenian James Harden is showing the exact same limitations and attitudes that saw Dallas frantically dump him.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
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People hurl wooden crates overboard, tumble off rafts, and frantically don life jackets—sometimes all at once.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Mangione wore beige prison clothing to the hearing and spoke animatedly with his defense team.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
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During the ceremony, Barron was seen smiling and clapping alongside Elon Musk, animatedly talking with Jeff Bezos and greeting outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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All this happened before, with the aid of a boombox, Singh and the little girls taught me to crazily dance Punjabi-style in their welcoming home occupied by three generations.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
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Granted, by the time the Jet Skis are swinging crazily in the air, Nathan has only been onboard for a few hours.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
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Their conversation bounced around frenetically, as their conversations tended to do.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
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The early-career excitement Spielberg generated with Duel, The Sugarland Express, Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind came to a thudding halt with the frenetically busy, hopelessly bloated war comedy, 1941.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittishly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittishly. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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