as in to scurry
to move quickly and lightly along a surface
Dry leaves skittered over the sidewalk. Mice skittered across the floor.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skitter
Instead of skittering off, the hot droplets start sticking and seeping into the surface texture, and leave wet patches behind.
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
Fingers skitter up and down the strings of a double bass, hands massage the piano keys, brushes gently scratch at the drums.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Gu skittered off the first rail and toppled to her side, dashing her title hopes.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The two tuxedo cats skittered uneasily away from her, afraid of what kind of chaos this toddling creature would bring into their lives.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Feb. 2026
Fingers skitter up and down the strings of a double bass, hands massage the piano keys, brushes gently scratch at the drums.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Gu skittered off the first rail and toppled to her side, dashing her title hopes.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
The two tuxedo cats skittered uneasily away from her, afraid of what kind of chaos this toddling creature would bring into their lives.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skitter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skitter
Verb
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Your eyes may see the prairie dogs digging and scurrying.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
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Orlando would scurry to get back in the game and thanks to some lucky breaks in the second half, the Storm were able to make things interesting.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Penguins darted beneath us, marine iguanas grazed on algae, and sea lions twirled playfully in the water.—
David Morris,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
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From corners, Bromley pack the six-yard box, with multiple players darting towards its centre.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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New Year’s Eve brought music and dancing to the central square.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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How did Jaafar train to sing and dance in Michael?—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Those who aren’t taking over the whole place and enjoy more of a scene can flit over in the island’s speedboat to neighboring Hurawalhi, with its buzzy bar, big gym, and underwater restaurant.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
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Summer signifies les grandes vacances, when the French take off parts of July and the entire month of August to flit to their country homes or the coast.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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At that moment, the sun began to shine brightly, the wind picked up and the curtain fluttered violently.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skitter. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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