as in chatting
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
the toddler pattered on for what seemed like hours
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Recent Examples of pattering
Benito finds community with the like-minded Pleneros de la Cresta, who have been playing the island’s pattering folk music for over a decade.
—
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pattering
Verb
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Then, almost two years into the investigation, Langston stopped by the police station and was chatting with a different administrator, who asked Langston whether the initial search had also been conducted in an older database that not everybody on staff knew about.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
When chatting at the Future 50 last summer, Green spoke for more than 12 minutes about his top schools and did not mention Georgia until the program was brought up.—
Jeff Sentell,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The straight-talking Benatia, who became sporting director in January 2025 after previously working for the club in an advisory role, fit a similar mould.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
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Riley was equally at ease when talking with the dentist, listening patiently as the man described his fancy new house in a gentrified area.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
On her last day in Reggio Emilia, Middleton visited with schoolchildren in the woods—even sitting in the grass and sharing stories of her own kids while conversing with the students.—
Stefania Saltalamacchia,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
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On April 30, the TikTok star, 25, and the Houston Texans wide receiver, 30, were spotted conversing at the Sports Illustrated x Authentic Brands Group party at The Surf Club Restaurant in Miami.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
But a chattering bird builds no nest!—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
Verb
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This nerve-rattling sequence that leaves three of the Khachaturian men dead is a wrenching depiction of innocent casualties brought down by split-second combat decisions.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
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Just the title, with its three abrupt syllables, becomes the echo of a century’s rattling sabres.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pattering. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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