as in intermittently
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Recent Examples of fitfully
That’s Duncan’s dilemma from the very beginning of this fitfully hilarious episode of The Audacity.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026
The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
The city has been fitfully pursuing plans to renovate the stadium, widely regarded as an architectural and engineering marvel, since the administration of Mayor Tomás Regalado, who left office in 2017.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Now that the bill of losing with no end in sight has come due, the club’s latest rebuilding era has arrived fitfully and — despite Rutherford’s suggestion on Wednesday that the club has been preparing for this moment for two or three years — it’s arrived largely unplanned for.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
The orchestra seemed only fitfully engaged with Dudamel’s direction—a warning sign amid hoopla.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Shamet was fitfully productive when played in meaningful spot minutes during the postseason for New York last year.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2026
The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
While many talk shows began as fitfully amusing discussions around relevant issues, some soon devolved into sordid and exploitative freak shows that encouraged verbal and physical altercations.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
The city has been fitfully pursuing plans to renovate the stadium, widely regarded as an architectural and engineering marvel, since the administration of Mayor Tomás Regalado, who left office in 2017.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Now that the bill of losing with no end in sight has come due, the club’s latest rebuilding era has arrived fitfully and — despite Rutherford’s suggestion on Wednesday that the club has been preparing for this moment for two or three years — it’s arrived largely unplanned for.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
The orchestra seemed only fitfully engaged with Dudamel’s direction—a warning sign amid hoopla.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Shamet was fitfully productive when played in meaningful spot minutes during the postseason for New York last year.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fitfully
Adverb
-
Iran has participated in the Biennale intermittently since 2003, including the most recent edition in 2024.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
13 May 2026
-
Michael served as a writer for Martin's 2012 comedy special I, Martin Short, Goes Home and worked intermittently on his series The Martin Short Show between 1994 and 2000.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
Tactics Deschamps started the tournament in Russia with a 4-3-3, which featured the highly exciting, mobile front three of Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele buzzing around unpredictably.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
-
During perimenopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone fluctuate unpredictably and gradually decline.—
Cathy Nelson,
Health,
29 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The game ran poorly, crashed regularly, looked unremarkable, and drove disjointedly.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Do painters unconsciously use similar shapes, contours or compositions to elicit an emotional response?—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
While critics have been tough on the Finnish director’s blending of human sentiment and thrashing violence and pyrotechnics, audiences know his brand – consciously or unconsciously.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fitfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fitfully. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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