as in flitting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
the birds flittered back and forth between the backyard feeder and the safety of the trees
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Recent Examples of flittering
Acknowledging that the debt-forgiveness fairy isn’t flittering in the wings on graduation day calls for careful assessment of college plans, dreams, and reality.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flittering
Verb
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Spring's warmth is settling in across southern Michigan, and hummingbirds will soon be flitting about the state.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There was the usual assemblage of male and female Anna’s and just a couple of the Allen’s darting out occasionally from the sanctuary of the nearby tree to drink nectar from the hanging feeders.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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This time, my eyes slid to the fresh silver polish on her fingernails, her cascading perm thick but without any undergrowth, and those eyes darting from me to the cop, glistening as if on the verge of pouring.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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October marks the start of butterfly season, with vibrant swarms fluttering well into the green season.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
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The sudden movement sends the birds fluttering away from you, to watch and wait.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In last season’s finale, Coop and Mel shared a kiss and a moment while dancing.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Folk dances abound all across the country, and huge crowds of people can be found dancing at festivals and weddings.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flittering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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