chittering

present participle of chitter
as in chirping
to make a short sharp sound like a small bird the chittering birds outside were driving the cat crazy the cell phone chittered in his pocket

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 chittering The ice rocked four or five feet in each direction, and suddenly a group of penguins surfaced beside the kayak and started chittering. Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026 Harding sings in the hooded, lower end of her range, and the music is filled with nighttime sounds—chittering percussion, organ. Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026 The group set out in the park to investigate chittering sounds that turned out to be a couple of white-breasted nut hatches. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chittering
chirping
Verb
  • The chirping incited a scuffle that led to four ejections and four suspensions.
    Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Think your back yard can get buggy in the summer—with mosquitoes, flies, moths, wasps, bees, lightning bugs, crickets, and more swarming, buzzing, and chirping everywhere?
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chittering. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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