skittered; skittering; skitters
1
a
: to glide or skip lightly or quickly
b
: to move in or as in a jittery or jerky way
leaves skittering over the sidewalk
2
: to twitch the hook of a fishing line through or along the surface of water
: to cause to skitter
Examples of skitter in a Sentence
Dry leaves skittered over the sidewalk.
Mice skittered across the floor.
Recent Examples on the Web
The track whips up a spirit of hedonism with both these and other mature-themes lyrics in tandem with a thick, skittering electro production that’s well-matched with a music video capturing the type of late night behavior the song is designed to soundtrack and elicit.
—
Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 May 2024
Big black beetles with long antennae might be skittering around your yard or patio this time of year, but fear not: These are just the relatively harmless palo verde beetles, also known as palo verde root borers.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
Its intoxicating blend of sinewy R&B, skittering rock and heady psychedelia should be enhanced on an outdoor concert stage under the stars.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024
Jon stayed focused, though, and noticed the line had broken at the reel—and that the loose end was skittering across the ice.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 26 Jan. 2024
If the gender binary melts away, if heterosexuality is no longer the default assumption, if parasites enter the building and dismantle the tenants, something unspeakable will skitter across—and that is the point of any erotic effusion worth pursuing.
—Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
Listening to Perpetual Morphosis is like watching stop-motion footage of a rainforest floor: notes skittering around like industrious insects in the dirt while others operate on an entirely different timescale, growing and blooming with the patience of plants.
—Pitchfork, 14 Dec. 2023
Amid the tumult, there are brief, blissfully peaceful shots of ants skittering up and down a wall, and also of a snail slithering across Sol’s open palm.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
As the lattice’s remaining electrons interacted, the hole where the missing electron had been would skitter around the lattice.
—Michael Greshko, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2024
Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 May 2024
Big black beetles with long antennae might be skittering around your yard or patio this time of year, but fear not: These are just the relatively harmless palo verde beetles, also known as palo verde root borers.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
Its intoxicating blend of sinewy R&B, skittering rock and heady psychedelia should be enhanced on an outdoor concert stage under the stars.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024
Jon stayed focused, though, and noticed the line had broken at the reel—and that the loose end was skittering across the ice.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 26 Jan. 2024
If the gender binary melts away, if heterosexuality is no longer the default assumption, if parasites enter the building and dismantle the tenants, something unspeakable will skitter across—and that is the point of any erotic effusion worth pursuing.
—Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
Listening to Perpetual Morphosis is like watching stop-motion footage of a rainforest floor: notes skittering around like industrious insects in the dirt while others operate on an entirely different timescale, growing and blooming with the patience of plants.
—Pitchfork, 14 Dec. 2023
Amid the tumult, there are brief, blissfully peaceful shots of ants skittering up and down a wall, and also of a snail slithering across Sol’s open palm.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
As the lattice’s remaining electrons interacted, the hole where the missing electron had been would skitter around the lattice.
—Michael Greshko, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skitter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near skitter
Cite this Entry
“Skitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skitter. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
skitter
verb
skit·ter
ˈskit-ər 
: to glide or skip lightly or quickly : skim along a surface
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