as in to flit
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of flitter
Our attention constantly jumps from one flittering speck to the next, and the storm of activity blocks our view of the whole sphere.
—
Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
My eyes gleefully flittered among the many gilded furnishings, opulent light fixtures, and damask wall treatments.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 7 Dec. 2024
The unexpected sight of the little orange carp flittering around in a glorified puddle was everywhere, a social-media must-post, a Walden surrounded by concrete at a corner known as the Bed-Stuy Aquarium.
—The Editors, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2024
Where India Song’s Anna-Marie and her various colonial suitors move languidly and speechlessly through the chateau like ghosts, Jeanne Dielman is continually flittering between the chores of cooking, cleaning, and errand-running.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
These flittering finches are adaptable and have learned to live in cities, towns and farmland.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Western tanagers escort rafters downstream — yellow flashes flittering from juniper to juniper.
—Pete Zimowsky, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Through its evolution, the term seems to flitter between abstract and concrete.
—Leo Kim, WIRED, 5 Sep. 2023
As Francis prayed before a statue of the Madonna, nearby wildfires turned the sky smoky black and sent ash flittering down on the crowd.
—Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023
Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
My eyes gleefully flittered among the many gilded furnishings, opulent light fixtures, and damask wall treatments.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 7 Dec. 2024
The unexpected sight of the little orange carp flittering around in a glorified puddle was everywhere, a social-media must-post, a Walden surrounded by concrete at a corner known as the Bed-Stuy Aquarium.
—The Editors, Curbed, 2 Dec. 2024
Where India Song’s Anna-Marie and her various colonial suitors move languidly and speechlessly through the chateau like ghosts, Jeanne Dielman is continually flittering between the chores of cooking, cleaning, and errand-running.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
These flittering finches are adaptable and have learned to live in cities, towns and farmland.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Western tanagers escort rafters downstream — yellow flashes flittering from juniper to juniper.
—Pete Zimowsky, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Through its evolution, the term seems to flitter between abstract and concrete.
—Leo Kim, WIRED, 5 Sep. 2023
As Francis prayed before a statue of the Madonna, nearby wildfires turned the sky smoky black and sent ash flittering down on the crowd.
—Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flitter
Verb
-
Image On the site of this family home in Jeju, the buried appear to rise again, their shadows flitting over the walls; dead and absent people and birds are intermittently present, and the distinction between dead and living grows fuzzy.—
Lydia Millet,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Fleet, flitting here and there, in front of the orchestra and behind, her Puck seems to become the toh bird.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The Czech Republic Under-21 international would then have striker Darwin Nunez darting towards him, so repeatedly hit it long where, inevitably, Virgil van Dijk won the aerial duel against Richarlison and Liverpool regained control.—
Jay Harris,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
-
According to Storyful, Seren ended up far from shore after darting away from her owner and into the waves along Newton Beach in Porthcawl, Wales.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Jason Lloyd Evans At Harris Reed, models walked the runway fluttering exaggerated blue, gold, and jet black false eyelashes.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Lift your legs off the floor and flutter your feet.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flitter. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share