as in sporadic
lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence
a night of fitful sleep did not leave me feeling well rested the next morning
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Recent Examples of fitful
Muller has spent the past 12 years experiencing the ups and downs, fitful starts and stops her sport has endured since first splashing on the Swiss hockey scene as a 15-year-old by scoring her nation’s first bronze-medal clinching goal at the 2014 Sochi Games.
—
John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
When Leo Lewis O’Neil’s documentary, Slauson Rec, about the actor’s fitful attempt to host a theater workshop premiered at Cannes in 2025, audiences were uncomfortable bearing witness to LaBeouf’s rage.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2026
Signs of fitful progress appear Despite increasingly authoritarian governments in many parts of Asia and the rest of the world, there are some encouraging signs.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Already, 10 times more water evaporates off Arizona’s arid landscape and fitful rivers.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fitful
John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
When Leo Lewis O’Neil’s documentary, Slauson Rec, about the actor’s fitful attempt to host a theater workshop premiered at Cannes in 2025, audiences were uncomfortable bearing witness to LaBeouf’s rage.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2026
Signs of fitful progress appear Despite increasingly authoritarian governments in many parts of Asia and the rest of the world, there are some encouraging signs.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Already, 10 times more water evaporates off Arizona’s arid landscape and fitful rivers.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fitful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitful
Adjective
-
There were sporadic injuries reported as well as some arrests and property damage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
Flowers nearly cover the plant in spring, followed by sporadic blooms throughout the season.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The concentrated schedule created a sense of occasion and urgency that is diluted when games are spread across Thursdays, occasional Wednesdays, Friday holidays, Saturday nights, Sunday mornings and multiple streaming-exclusive windows.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
This is a play that takes young people and their problems seriously, while incorporating occasional humor into the script and direction.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Modern economies, critics argued, cannot run on intermittent power.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Neither intermittent fasting nor small, frequent meals directly boosts your metabolism.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lake Baikal, often described as an inland sea because of its enormous size, is notorious for sudden storms and icy conditions even during tourist season, according to National Geographic.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
About 50,000 Americans experience sudden retinal detachment each year, requiring urgent surgery to avoid permanent vision loss.—
Peter Ubel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Price Outlook Cotton prices continued to move higher over the past month, but the pattern has become more erratic.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
-
Technology cycles are shorter, markets are more erratic and competition is becoming more worldwide.—
Raheel Sheikh,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitful. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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