1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
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2
as in timid
easily frightened
the cat is skittish around people she doesn't know
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3
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a skittish housing market had both buyers and sellers on edge
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of skittish
While regulators, skittish depositors, and the Federal Reserve’s rapid rate hikes have all been blamed for SVB’s collapse, Hardymon—and Ken Wilcox, who spent 30 years at SVB, including a decade as CEO between 2001 and 2011—both had a simpler explanation.
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Will Daniel, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024
Privately, folks like O’Malley Dillon worked around the clock to calm skittish donors and activists.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Crafting outfits from patterns requires materials, and that means finding them in the wilderness — picking flowers at certain times of day, tracking down the best fishing spots, and convincing skittish cats to part with their excess fluff for a good cause, among other things.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Still, the path chosen feels unique — not least for conveying some awful truths by means palatable even to the most skittish viewer.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for skittish 
Will Daniel, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2024
Privately, folks like O’Malley Dillon worked around the clock to calm skittish donors and activists.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Crafting outfits from patterns requires materials, and that means finding them in the wilderness — picking flowers at certain times of day, tracking down the best fishing spots, and convincing skittish cats to part with their excess fluff for a good cause, among other things.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Still, the path chosen feels unique — not least for conveying some awful truths by means palatable even to the most skittish viewer.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
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Jeon Seok-ho is consistently amusing as Woo-seok, an excitable small-time criminal who joins Jun-ho in the search for the island.Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 26 Dec. 2024
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The property is listed with excitable realtor Greg (Matt Rogers), who dreams of a quick sale and a hefty commission.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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From Dickinson to Colton Dach, who was making his NHL debut, to Nolan Allan and much of the lineup, the Blackhawks weren’t timid.Scott Powers, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
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Usually, a player who has been injured for that long will come in and be timid and not want to do anything too crazy.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Other volatile organic compounds are also known to contaminate tap water after fires.Pien Huang, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025
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Despite his volatile nature, Sanders has been linked to NFL teams after beginning his coaching career with Jackson State back in 2020.Vincent Frank, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But that didn’t stop Greenbaum from being a little nervous about screening the film for Harper and Will.Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025
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Though landing a recurring character is usually a good thing for an actor, Hilton was nervous about fans’ reception.Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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His lack of regard for democratic and institutional norms is overlooked by a large part of the population, and certain friendly and fearful media players.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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In the later stages of the disease, deer become starved, weak and less fearful of humans.Sophie Hartley, Scientific American, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Laws and norms govern their actions to a degree but the human element is unpredictable.Richard Bishop, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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On top of this, issues related to money and possessions are unpredictable.Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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