Fitful

You could see the eroded gaps when someone underbought a book and it sold out, selling in fitful gaps whenever a stock-starved store managed to get their hands on a few copies. ❋ Unknown (2006)

They only way they could sleep now, in short fitful frames, pressed to one another, crying, wearing themselves into broken, empty dreams of exhaustion. ❋ Miss Snark (2006)

But slower and slower grew her flight; strength at last was failing, for it had been too severely tried; her breath came quick and fast, in short, fitful gasps, and her heart beat heavily beneath her quivering breast. ❋ Gertrude P. Dyer (N/A)

All night it blew in short fitful puffs, heeling the great cog over until the water curled over her lee bulwarks. ❋ Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 (1902)

Were there in the wide world of varying forms and faces a form and a face so much unlike his own as were those of the man who walked, nay, jerked along, in short, fitful paces, by his side? ❋ Hall Caine (1892)

He walked to and fro in short, fitful steps, crying that there was no help, no help. ❋ Hall Caine (1892)

The hungry cry of the beast of prey, or the fierce deed of savage man, whoop and dance, triumph and torture, broke in fitful bursts upon the deep silence, and then died away, leaving the breath of life to rise and fall with the passing winds. ❋ Unknown (1887)

When evening closed the flames were still visible, darting upwards in fitful flashes on the eastern horizon. ❋ Unknown (1862)

Sleeping in short, fitful spurts beneath the trees, hunger gnawing at their bellies, Palmer and her companions began to accept the hopelessness of the situation. ❋ DAVID DUNWOODY (2008)

The greedy cry and gestures of the bearers, when, on changing, they break a fitful sleep by poking a torch in your face, and vociferating "Bucksheesh, Sahib;" their discontent at the most liberal largesse, and the sluggishness of the next set who want bribes, put the traveller out of patience with the natives. ❋ Unknown (1864)

"fitful" - thought it meant an uninterrupted, peaceful sleep. ❋ Unknown (2010)

A fourth of them stayed only briefly, another quarter checked in and out like tourists, and no more than five men carried most of the discussion with seven others playing "fitful" supporting roles. ❋ Unknown (2007)

Dunne begins his review by reporting that he and I have had "fitful" correspondence over the years and that during the 1960's I would end my epistles, "Pots of love." ❋ Buckley, William F. (1983)

Our old apothecary, now degraded by the overshadowing influence of his grandson's character to a position not much above that of a shop-boy, stood behind the counter with a face sad and distrustful, and yet with an odd kind of fitful excitement in it, as if he would have liked to enjoy this new prosperity, had he dared. ❋ Various (N/A)

"[dude] [that girl] is fit!" "[right]?" ❋ Jesus (2003)

"Hey John did you catch the last episode of [Will It] Fit?" "Yeah he shoved [a can] of [soup up] his ass." ❋ Dutch Model 2179 (2017)

Comes in Your [Friend]: [The Fit is Nice] ❋ Your Local Rka Treesh (2019)

[yasmine] with [the fit] on! ❋ Yasmineeee (2017)

Whoa, that [model] is [FIT]! She's really [fit], but a bit of [a slut]. ❋ Emma (2004)

Man, that [dudes] [got some] [tight] fits. ❋ Anonymous (1999)

I fit in with [athletic] people because [I love] [sports]. ❋ EFTeacher (2017)

That's a [sick] fit! [Awesome] fit! ❋ Junaaa (2008)

'Billy is so fit' ❋ Channy (2004)

"Being on /fit/ did get me to finally hit 2 [plate] [bench], but I started [judging] people heavily by how they look like and became depressed over the fact that I can't talk to girls. ❋ Pumped Jack (2017)