as in to excite
to cause a pleasurable stimulation of the feelings
tabloids titillate their readers with racy details about the private lives of media-created celebrities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of titillate
Bracketed by a song about ICE disappearing US citizens and another song with a visceral description of torture, this erotic vision of national unity is more than simply titillating.
—
Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Democratic stars rising out of Texas titillated the base, not the middle let alone the right.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
The average viewer imagines all sort of carnal activities happening, titillated by what might appear onscreen once the visuals kick in.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Democratic stars rising out of Texas titillated the base, not the middle let alone the right.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
The average viewer imagines all sort of carnal activities happening, titillated by what might appear onscreen once the visuals kick in.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for titillate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for titillate
Verb
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Then, on Friday and Saturday, DeCosta would methodically attempt to upgrade his roster at numerous positions — with much of that energy geared toward enhancing star quarterback Lamar Jackson’s reality — a prospect that excited him as the three-day marathon approached.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Strong relationships also tend to go hand-in-hand with finding work that genuinely excites you—something Jassy has emphasized in his own career advice.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They are also thrilled to be somewhere which, unlike Rikers, isn’t falling apart around them.—
Jonathan Lippman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Still, the pinnacles of the heartland-rock canon continue to thrill us in unexpected ways.—
Jack Hamilton,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The expediency of their exchanges (back and forth over a couple of weeks) electrified the planet, especially the mounting viciousness of Lamar’s attack (ad hominem all the way).—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Yungblud gives an electrifying performance onstage at London's O2 Arena on April 24.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Titillate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/titillate. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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