pitter-pattering

verb

present participle of pitter-patter
as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner his heart pitter-pattered with excitement as he waited for the right moment to propose

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitter-pattering
  1. throbbing
  2. beating
  3. vibrating
  4. pulsing
Verb
  • Her voice, usually an attention-demanding force, is detached from the throbbing production.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Just two days later, Aitia was sitting in class when his newly pierced ear began throbbing with pain.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of throbbing
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Eisenkot’s bloc, which consists of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties, would get 54 seats, beating Netanyahu while still falling short of a clear victory.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Chicago Bears were 8-0 for the first time since 1942, after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 at Soldier Field.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • While the paintings may not be physically vibrating, their compositions resonate with a similar intensity.
    — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • One man said his apartment was vibrating Wednesday night as crews worked nearby.
    — Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of vibrating
Verb
  • The question that haunts his stories, giving them a pulsing undertow of dread, is whether those things have already happened or not.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And then there’s an energetic quality, at times radiating light and other times shining it—with or without pulsing strobes—on others.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of pulsing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pitter-pattered
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Cite this Entry

“Pitter-pattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-pattering. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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