How to Use patter in a Sentence

patter

noun
  • Sense the gentle thrum of panic in your chest, and hear the patter of the drill in the street beyond.
    Cora Frazier, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023
  • The film begins with sound: a patter of rain, a crash of thunder.
    Geoff Bailey, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2022
  • The ceaseless talking-head patter goes like this: The game has changed.
    Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2022
  • The same restless energy, the same quick patter, the same easy style.
    David Treuer, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2022
  • Rather than a large dump of rain falling on a few days, there’s been a steady pitter patter, day after day.
    Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Aug. 2022
  • The only honking is that of Canadian geese, mixed with the trill of bird calls and patter of the garden fountain.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
  • The pop star sings a jaunty melody over the breezy patter of hand drums and a reggaeton synthetic bass line.
    Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep. 2022
  • There’s a meme for times like these, when cool air blows and rain showers pitter patter outside.
    Caleb Pershan, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Nov. 2022
  • Something else that has worked its way into the movie-promoting patter is the plea to see films in theaters.
    Vulture, 4 Mar. 2022
  • While just a few hours earlier, the rain may have felt like an annoyance, the gentle patter of rain on the tent set a cozy backdrop for the event.
    Rachel Besser, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2024
  • In kindergarten, Imani Johnson’s friends would show off their dance moves on the playground: nimble steps and taps that made a pleasant patter on the ground.
    Arvin Temkar, NBC News, 16 Mar. 2022
  • Not that Misty was about to bring up current events in his fairly reserved stage patter Friday night.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2022
  • This patter about who’s going to get up and close the shades is extremely relatable.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2023
  • Who better to recognize the power of a little idle patter than girls?
    Time, 13 June 2023
  • Huang keeps up a semi-comic deadpan patter at all times.
    Stephen Witt, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023
  • The pickpocket, Les S. Moore, pounded nails into his head through his nose while keeping up a steady stream of jokey patter.
    David Hill, Harper’s Magazine , 27 Apr. 2022
  • But in his body — the rigidity in his jaw and neck, the nervous patter of his fidgeting hands — is anxiety.
    Vulture, 17 Oct. 2023
  • Here to brighten the darkening autumn with some bright cheery jokes and charming patter are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Oct. 2022
  • Throughout, Jackson didn’t have much time for patter with the audience.
    Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Walking through the forest under the soft glow of autumn leaves, the snap of twigs was replaced with the patter of raindrops and footsteps were now muted by the dampness.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2021
  • Candlelight flickers against the cabin wall as rain patters against the window.
    Samantha Laine Perfas, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2024
  • The result is a patter of hokey jokes and straightforward references to wildlife, spring flows and history.
    Kevin Spear, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2021
  • Over time, the patter became what audiences packed into nightclubs to hear.
    Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 27 May 2021
  • Brockmire speaks in this deep, singsongy narrative patter, even, for instance, while sitting on the toilet.
    Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2021
  • But beneath the bright patter and eye-catching descriptions, each story has sadness at its core.
    Marion Winik, Washington Post, 26 June 2022
  • The Humane Society of Harford County will soon be hearing the pitter patter of lots of little paws.
    baltimoresun.com, 30 Mar. 2021
  • Zosia Radziwill, a 32-year-old Polish volunteer who has become a fast friend, offered a distraction of quick, bright patter when the bill came to a bit more than that.
    Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2022
  • As the clock drops below the minute-mark, the patter of little avatar feet increases, as does my level of anticipation.
    Kayti Burt, refinery29.com, 23 June 2022
  • Neither do the Dolphins, no matter their public patter.
    Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Aug. 2021
  • This product is available in a range of patters and colors, but to really deck out your campsite, grab one of their Mystic Moon Phase towels, too.
    Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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