as in to scurry
to move quickly and lightly along a surface
Dry leaves skittered over the sidewalk. Mice skittered across the floor.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 skitter
Mites, even when skittering in proximity to your eyeballs, are a totally normal part of your skin’s microbiome, feeding on oil and dead skin cells inside hair follicles.
—
Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of skittering off, the hot droplets start sticking and seeping into the surface texture, and leave wet patches behind.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
Fingers skitter up and down the strings of a double bass, hands massage the piano keys, brushes gently scratch at the drums.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 5 Mar. 2026
Tiny crabs skitter the shoreline.
—Ryan Ballogg
updated February 26, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Instead of skittering off, the hot droplets start sticking and seeping into the surface texture, and leave wet patches behind.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
Fingers skitter up and down the strings of a double bass, hands massage the piano keys, brushes gently scratch at the drums.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skitter
Verb
-
When the news came that a horse had scratched, a great stir rose, and several of the groomsmen who were sitting in the stalls with their horse wards scurried to start their brisk brushing to get the pine shavings off and used their jute sacks to spit-shine the coats slick.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Your eyes may see the prairie dogs digging and scurrying.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the first block was hoisted, Alemani darted to the railing to take a picture.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The streaker managed to dodge several security guards, darting onto the iconic steps before being tackled and escorted off the premises.—
Alyssa Modos,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Watch them dip and dance and make defenders miss all the way to New York.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
The group, which often performs outdoors in the summertime, was commissioned to create a new piece to be danced at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in Wethersfield.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Over sunny instrumentation, Rhys flits back and forth between English and Welsh in what feels like a nonsensical miasma of free association.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
4 May 2026
-
From there, the event planner extraordinaire flitted around to a few more spots, including MI-V1 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, and Lux, in the old Liquid location.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
At that moment, the sun began to shine brightly, the wind picked up and the curtain fluttered violently.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skitter. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
