as in to excite
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings
tabloids titillate their readers with racy details about the private lives of media-created celebrities
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Recent Examples of titillate
The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.
—
Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These tête-à-têtes can also titillate the tabloids, which can only speculate about what’s being discussed as the ball is thwacked about.
—Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
Antonioni’s critical distance from this mass display makes something of a grim parody of the Sexual Revolution, suggesting that its liberatory possibilities have been forgotten in the name of titillating distraction.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These tête-à-têtes can also titillate the tabloids, which can only speculate about what’s being discussed as the ball is thwacked about.
—Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
Antonioni’s critical distance from this mass display makes something of a grim parody of the Sexual Revolution, suggesting that its liberatory possibilities have been forgotten in the name of titillating distraction.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for titillate
Verb
-
Tapascott said speed alone no longer excites drivers.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
At Square Peg, I was surrounded by more than two dozen filmmakers — all brilliant, all hand-selected — and exactly none were excited by the prospect of building audience or crafting distribution strategy.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
She was thrilled about her trip to Australia.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
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This has not thrilled a number of Destiny players who were not planning on playing Marathon, a wildly different genre, and just wanted that new content.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Given that road transport accounts for around half of global oil demand, electrifying this segment has significant impacts in the long-term role and value of oil.—
María Mendiluce,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
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Since not all transportation sectors can be electrified, liquid fuels will continue to be needed to meet climate targets.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Titillate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/titillate. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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