Thesaurus results for PALPITATE

palpitate

verb

ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt

Definition of palpitate

as in to throb

to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the man's heart began to palpitate, and he feared another attack was coming on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 palpitate The past three seasons, their games were marked by palpitating comebacks. — New York Times, 23 Nov. 2019 In one of the raciest vignettes, a man buys and eats fresh dumplings on a train, intermittently palpitating his sore gums with his fingers. — Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 8 May 2020 The matte, phosphorescent sigils painted onto his robe appeared to palpitate in the low light. — Kent Russell, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 Angelica Hernández's heart hasn't stopped palpitating for a week. — Author: Arelis R. Hernández, Cristina Corujo, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Jan. 2020 Angelica Hernández’s heart hasn’t stopped palpitating for a week. — Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2020 But two sweaty and heart-palpitating afternoons at Foley Field spoke a truth about Georgia, bound for the College World Series for the first time since 2008. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 8 June 2026 The finale had the impossible task of putting the monstrous show to an unquiet grave, and while some storylines seemed rushed and others completely ignored, even everyone’s least favorite season of GOT is heart palpitating. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpitate

Verb

When Marlowe awoke the next morning, her head was still throbbing and Declan's side was empty, the sheets lineless.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
And judging by the throbbing snippet that caps off the video they might not be done.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026

Definition of throb

Verb

Emanuel Sharp, Isaiah Stevens and Marquel Sutton led the way as the Kings rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors Blue 91-85 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
Egypt made its way to the round of 16 by beating Australia on penalties.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of beat

Verb

This poppy, edgy fusion of imagery and sound creates a unique world pulsing at the seams.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
The funding will support the company’s work on high-temperature, high-performance silicon carbide semiconductor components and pulsed power technologies.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026

Definition of pulse

Browse Nearby Words

palping

palpitate

palpitated

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of palpitate

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on palpitate

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes