1
as in teasing
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
the servers at that restaurant flirt with all the customers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
lazily watched the butterflies flirting among the wildflowers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flirting
Because if Vitello can’t handle a simple case of a star player forgetting the outs at a critical juncture of the game against an archrival, who is to say what will be accepted next for a team that’s already flirting with effective playoff elimination?
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Disney, which was in the process of buying ABC, was also flirting with launching a news network.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 14 May 2026
Despite his support for Ukraine, Stubb had begun flirting with the idea of eventually opening up talks with Russia in recent months.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
Cole Sulser is flirting with career-best numbers at age 36, while several high-leverage pitchers (Garrett Cleavinger, Griffin Jax and Edwin Uceta) have struggled with injuries and performance issues.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
The White Sox were flirting with first place in the American League Central on Tuesday, trailing the Cleveland Guardians by a half-game.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
All this league flirting and dealmaking with streaming services is under scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to determine if the league is violating its antitrust exemption.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Finn He's given a face to cannon-fodder Stormtroopers, plus has a penchant for flirting and a heroic streak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Harper scored 27 points off the bench, flirting with the Spurs’ playoff record for most in a game by a 20-year-old.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Disney, which was in the process of buying ABC, was also flirting with launching a news network.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 14 May 2026
Despite his support for Ukraine, Stubb had begun flirting with the idea of eventually opening up talks with Russia in recent months.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026
Cole Sulser is flirting with career-best numbers at age 36, while several high-leverage pitchers (Garrett Cleavinger, Griffin Jax and Edwin Uceta) have struggled with injuries and performance issues.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
The White Sox were flirting with first place in the American League Central on Tuesday, trailing the Cleveland Guardians by a half-game.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
All this league flirting and dealmaking with streaming services is under scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to determine if the league is violating its antitrust exemption.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Finn He's given a face to cannon-fodder Stormtroopers, plus has a penchant for flirting and a heroic streak.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Harper scored 27 points off the bench, flirting with the Spurs’ playoff record for most in a game by a 20-year-old.
—Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flirting
Verb
-
All the thespian’s chemistry felt less like castmates promoting a production and more like siblings teasing one another out of deep affection.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Luther Ford’s start in this industry began with a teasing dare from his relatives.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Like a vibrantly hued snake darting down the narrow branch of a tree, the collective of high-performance automobiles rapidly navigates the narrow, serpentine artery along the Northeastern Italian coast, a quicksilver-like tracing of the border between Il Bel Paese and Slovenia.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
11 May 2026
-
And so quickly darting into the air on seats supported by scaffolding is not an easy proposition for the mind to overcome.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The age-gap romance is one that Statsky said the writers have been toying around with for quite some time.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The bill is the result of six years of studying and toying around the edges of PBM issues.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Early mornings at Mukwa are quiet, with mist rising off the river and birds flitting along the river bank.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
In the garden, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and butterflies can be found flitting among the dazzling blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Putting up a hummingbird feeder in your garden or on your balcony or porch is a way to entice these fast-fluttering birds to visit.—
Lauren David,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 May 2026
-
Elke and Alysia started seeing the big bugs fluttering around in late April, and as their numbers grew through early May, the native rainbows started keying in on them more and more.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid found the beat during the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday afternoon, dancing its way to an electric seven-minute standing ovation.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Now that linear television is about as hip as dancing the Charleston, it’s sort of faded in relevance, but leave it to Bravo, which sometimes feels like the last cable channel standing, to turn it into a big deal.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Gosling, of course, was kidding.—
Jake Coyle,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Just kidding, but that would’ve been awesome.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flirting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flirting. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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