fluttered

verb

past tense of flutter
1
as in darted
to make an irregular series of quick, sudden movements a lonely butterfly fluttering across the lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flapped
to move or cause to move with a striking motion fluttered my eyelashes as I struck up a conversation with the new guy at work

Synonyms & Similar 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 fluttered All around them, guests smiled and laughed as children screamed with excitement and giggled each time a butterfly fluttered close. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 Young people fluttered about, wearing custom white T-shirts emblazoned with the festival’s retro cartoon-style poster art. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 On Thursday morning, fat bees perched on black-and-blue sage flowers, and doves loudly fluttered from fruit tree to fruit tree. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026 This isn't the first time a butterfly motif has fluttered, so to speak, into Larsson's glam routine. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026 Cassettes fluttered, CDs skipped, and choosing a dozen albums for a trip meant leaving dozens more behind. — New Atlas, 23 June 2026 Cars honked their horns and cyclists pulled over to tune in as flags fluttered in the wind, fans clambered to see the screen, and people hugged and shouted. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 June 2026 The two were often seen with what appeared to be unwashed, exposed roots that fluttered into beach waves down their backs. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 June 2026 The next day, a black flag fluttered by the hospital entrance to mourn those killed. — ABC News, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fluttered
  1. darted
  2. flapped
  3. flitted
  4. danced
  5. flicked
Verb
  • Late in the second period, freshman Emma Yokoi avoided a flag pull on a short, fourth-and-1 reception and darted 21 yards for a touchdown to push Newport Harbor’s lead to 13-0.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Agustin Ojeda tapped a pass to Nicolas Fernandez near the right sideline and darted toward the end line on the give-and-go.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of darted
Verb
  • Above the dancers flapped a ring of American flags, each representing a military veteran from the community who had passed away.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Luna then tried to jump over Sandy to get back into the bowl of the nest, but Sandy lost her balance and flapped down to the lower branches.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026
Definition of flapped
Verb
  • By the front door, a hummingbird repeatedly flitted to the tubular magenta blooms of the Salvia spathacea.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Spanish, who had at first just flitted along the coast in their galleons, had begun marching inland and overland from Mexico with crosses and soldiers and soldiers’ families.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of flitted
Verb
  • The packed crowd danced in unison with the song’s signature moves.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Gaultier and Valentino passed through town, while Grace Jones danced at Remezzo.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of danced
Verb
  • Near the left corner of the 6-yard box, Pereyra turned and flicked a shot inside the back post.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The toads had gone rogue, consuming native frogs, birds, insects, small marsupials, even Ping-Pong balls and cigarette butts flicked toward them at pubs—almost everything except the swarms of sugarcane beetles they had been imported to feed on.
    — Kimon de Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of flicked

Browse Nearby Words

flutter
fluttered
fluttering
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Cite this Entry

“Fluttered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fluttered. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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