1
as in to knock
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
a good carpenter hits a nail just two or three times to drive it in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
when she fell on the ice, she hit hard and badly bruised her elbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to achieve
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
the rock band hit "the big time" with their third album
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in success
a person or thing that is successful
the new babysitter turned out to be a hit with the kids
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
the quarterback can't take too many more hits like that and escape permanent injury
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hit
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Five years ago, Lloyd was on staff at Gonzaga when Jalen Suggs hit a half-court buzzer beater to beat UCLA in the Final Four.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
That play of rough and soft will make this outfit a total hit.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit
Verb
Since opening the game with consecutive doubles, Auburn has gotten one hit against Riojas.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Five years ago, Lloyd was on staff at Gonzaga when Jalen Suggs hit a half-court buzzer beater to beat UCLA in the Final Four.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
Over the course of the past decade, the streamer shifted from licensing third-party shows to producing local-language originals — and its simultaneous global releases gave hits like Squid Game and Demon Hunters, which has surpassed 540 million views, audiences far beyond Korea’s borders.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
That play of rough and soft will make this outfit a total hit.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit
Verb
-
Keane and his wife, Donna, were awake and about to go to bed when a powerful storm blew through their neighborhood and knocked a massive tree onto their home.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
During summer, El Niños tend to ramp up high-altitude wind shear over the Atlantic, knocking potential hurricanes off kilter.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nobody’s going to bump into them in a hallway and offer career advice.—
Dennis Kozak,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The victory bumped the Oilers to second place behind Anaheim and ahead of Vegas.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the dinner, Norris spoke about how his politics put him on a path to achieve his life goal in helping youth focus on martial arts with his program Kickstart Kids.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
-
And the Zags have achieved that level of success over a generation.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Picking up the slack The Horned Frogs had success against Boozer in the first half.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Mar. 2026
-
In hindsight, the transformation was a success.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Thune has worked to soften the blow, at least within his own conference, by involving Lee in lengthy conversations on how debate proceeds.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The French left won the Paris mayor’s race, one of a number of blows to far-right and center-right challengers in nationwide municipal polls.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police detectives found that Jones was assaulted in a fight that started when a woman slapped another woman who was with Jones outside the club.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
20 Mar. 2026
-
When the Rockets called a time out, the Lakers bench all ran over to Doncic, hugging him, slapping him and James nudging him for a job very well done.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Orlando, the wait time was approaching an hour, while at JFK airport in New York, travelers faced a wait of over half an hour — early signs of a weekend rush colliding with thin staffing.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The Toyota, according to an APD press release, collided with the back of a Chevy Silverado as both were traveling northbound on I-225 north of East Iliff Avenue.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Combined with 66 high school recruits signed during the same period, the Aggies have essentially turned over the roster while winning 19 of 26 games.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Rookie center Maxime Raynaud had a career-high 32 points and nine rebounds for the Kings (18-52), who had won four of their last five games.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
