pitter-patter

as in to throb
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-patter
Verb
  • My toothache throbbed all the way down my neck as my cab passed shop windows filled with fresh pasta the color of spring hay, icebergs of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and ladies forming tiny tortellini around their fingertips, before dropping me off at an anonymous building in the centro storico.
    Marcia DeSanctis, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The next morning, my legs were still throbbing but guess what?
    Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Australia beat their oldest rivals by five wickets in their Champions Trophy group game at Lahore on Saturday.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
  • As coached by Joe Schmidt, the Irish national team beat the New Zealand All Blacks here in 2016 (before some 62,000 people) for the first time in 111 years.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Successfully straddling that somewhat icy tone and a more hyperbolic effect are the anxious, pulsing synth textures of Martin Dirkov’s original score, which duly recall enduring prior thriller soundtracks by Tangerine Dream and Giorgio Moroder.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Their personalities, stories and overlapping narratives produce their own gravitational pull, meaning the crux of women’s football’s (still vigorously) pulsing tribalism is not as simple as being from that part of the country, nor are the lines as black and white.
    Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Pitter-patter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-patter. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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