as in throbs
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
her heart pit-a-patted with surprise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pit-a-pats
Verb
-
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026 -
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Enraged, Misha's boyfriend barrels across the room and beats Charlie up, and Emma flees the banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But nothing beats their monthly visits to the High Museum of Art in Midtown Atlanta.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a small LED indicator on the top of the device that pulses white when the sensor is ready for setup, briefly glows red when motion is detected, and briefly flashes green and blue during a reset.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Inside the shop, Miwa Tanaka, who’s worked the floor for years, says the flow of foot traffic still pulses with seasonality.—
Jessica Binns,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Basically, how fast a sound source vibrates.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
-
There's real grit underneath the shag haircut and thigh-high boots, though; see the discotheque scene, where her entire body vibrates with a desperate mix of hope, terror, and determination.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Pit-a-pats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pit-a-pats. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
