skittishly

adverb

1
as in agitatedly

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in playfully

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittishly
  1. desperately
  2. playfully
  3. uncontrollably
  4. buoyantly
  5. frantically
  6. animatedly
  7. crazily
  8. briskly
Adverb
  • But at a time when other actors might be trying to desperately avoid being typecast, Innanen seems to be relishing being the internet’s cutie of the moment.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
  • His was the type of selfless service that is so desperately needed today.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of desperately
Adverb
  • Its body-moving riff and playfully randy lyrics have made the track a regular on FM rock playlists for half a century.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In 2019, the family of Joe Heller (not that one) playfully celebrated his life in the Hartford Courant.
    — Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of playfully
Adverb
  • Meanwhile, wildfires have been blazing uncontrollably, most notably this week in the New Forest in southern England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of uncontrollably
Adverb
  • 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
Definition of buoyantly
Adverb
  • Its heroines aren’t frantically networking at film festivals or plotting their next career moves.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Stickers are stuck in the wrong spot, Trevor Etienne gets put on the board when it was meant to be his brother Travis, and owners look frantically for a Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen sticker that doesn’t exist in the pack.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adverb
  • By the end of our call, Michael Sheen is animatedly sharing stories of his family’s (potential) UFO sightings in south Wales.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Threading through the film is Sienkiewicz’s own voice animatedly discussing his process and approach.
    — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of animatedly
Adverb
  • And when Andreeva hits one of her crazily creative shots and turns to Martínez for praise, she is met with a smile, and maybe some clapping.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 June 2026
  • The scene used one of the film’s funniest visual gags, an apartment so crazily tilted that nobody inside it could stand up straight.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
Definition of crazily
Adverb
  • In a hallway, on a sidewalk or a gentle downhill, walk briskly for 6 or more feet, then bring yourself to a complete stop over three progressively shorter steps, softening your knees, hinging slightly at your hips and dropping your center of mass.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Errors and whiffs are briskly airbrushed away by the unending march of content.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of briskly

Browse Nearby Words

skittish
skittishly
skittishness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Skittishly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittishly. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All