as in darting
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements
bargain hunters at the flea market flitted from table to table like hummingbirds in a garden
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Recent Examples of flitting
At ease everywhere from flitting free jazz to looser, funkier textures, Allen abides, insistent but never overbearing on a session well worth the wait.
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Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
That Cody Balmer avowed the Palestinian cause in his call to 911, despite no prior connection to it, fits the general pattern, since that’s what was flitting across his screens.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
At its center is a 30-foot ferris wheel with twirling elements including a sun and moon, and 28 mechanical butterflies with beating wings flitting among colorful flowers.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Pulse is a ghost story, featuring two interwoven storylines about young Tokyoites who begin to see and hear strange apparitions flitting across their computer screens.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The spaces are smaller, with lower benches, and the older players, flitting between dressing rooms for U14s and U12s, have had to take their belongings home each day rather than leave them in lockers due to the carousel of teams moving in and out.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Expect flocks of vibrant flamingos and tiny flitting hummingbirds spreading their wings over the turquoise waters and tangles of mangroves that unfold across lagoons that stretch parallel to the sea.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
To a different namesake, all this flitting indecision might seem like disrespect.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 6 Sep. 2025
Powerful real estate developer Frank (Tracy Letts) looks at Lee like a pesky bug that keeps flitting about, yet he’s also amused by his antics.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flitting
Verb
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The headlights of the long-haul trucks illuminated Joshua trees and darting bats.—
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During early warm-ups for the Broncos-Chargers game, Dobbins spent over 30 minutes catching up with former Los Angeles teammates and coaches, darting over to the stands to sign a few autographs.—
Verb
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Consisting of wispy layers that create soft movement, akin to fluttering butterfly wings, the cut is a popular option for cascading long lengths.—
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Soft amber light illuminates gold jewelry, glossy lips, and brightly fabrics fluttering in the ocean breeze.—
Verb
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Large crowds of onlookers were treated to a performance of boxing and dancing on the show floor.—
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The images show vivid auroras dancing overhead and a fox below who seems far more interested in the photographer than the light show unfolding above.—
Cite this Entry
“Flitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flitting. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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