as in to excite
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings
tabloids titillate their readers with racy details about the private lives of media-created celebrities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of titillate
If there was any concern that Dispatch wouldn’t be leaning hard into sexuality and ‘shipping, this is a clear indication that the series is looking to titillate just as much as push audiences to emotionally connect with its characters.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.
—Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Antonioni’s critical distance from this mass display makes something of a grim parody of the Sexual Revolution, suggesting that its liberatory possibilities have been forgotten in the name of titillating distraction.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.
—Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
The poet titillates, commands by images—and only thus persuades.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Antonioni’s critical distance from this mass display makes something of a grim parody of the Sexual Revolution, suggesting that its liberatory possibilities have been forgotten in the name of titillating distraction.
—Jake Cole, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for titillate
Verb
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Nevertheless, new faces and new places might excite you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
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When did that pairing take shape for you and what excited you about it?—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Julia Lawson, an environmental scientist with the department, said in a statement that her team was thrilled to reach this milestone.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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And not everyone is thrilled by the news that otters might be living in the reservoir.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last year, the IMO was expected to adopt regulations that would have imposed carbon fees on shipping, which supporters said would have pushed companies to use cleaner fuels and electrify fleets where possible.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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During his electrifying performance, Bad Bunny brought out Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Titillate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/titillate. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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