bounce

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verb

ˈbau̇n(t)s

bounced; bouncing

Synonyms of bounce next

transitive verb

obsolete : beat, bump

: to cause to rebound or be reflected

bounce a ball

bounce a light ray off a reflector

: dismiss, fire

: to expel precipitately from a place

: to eliminate from a competition by defeating

was bounced from the tournament in the first round

: to issue (a check) drawn on an account with insufficient funds

: to present (something, such as an idea) to another person to elicit comments or to gain approval

—usually used with off

: to return (an email) to the sender with notification of failed delivery

Other potential authors proved simply too hard to reach. E-mails got bounced back, and many phone calls never went through.—

Clark Boyd

intransitive verb

: to rebound or reflect after striking a surface (such as the ground)

: to recover from a blow or a defeat quickly

—usually used with back

: to be returned by a bank because of insufficient funds in a checking account

His checks bounced.

: to leap suddenly : bound

: to walk with springing steps

: to hit a baseball so that it hits the ground before it reaches an infielder

of an email : to return to the sender with notification of failed delivery

Gonzalez had the wrong addresses for the local executives, and his emails bounced back.—

David Wenner

: to go quickly and usually repeatedly from one place, situation, job, etc., to another

The story bounces from one parallel universe to the next …—

Digby Diehl

In the past year, he's been the most visible rapper in the world, bouncing around the globe …—

Christian Hoard

US, informal : leave, depart

Some of Hollywood's finest … reportedly had difficulty getting in and decided to bounce.—

Kenya N. Byrd

bounce

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noun

plural bounces

: the act or action of bouncing off the ground or another surface : a rebound off a surface

caught the ball on the second bounce

… his liner … to right-center took an odd bounce off the wall.—

Rob Maaddi

: a sudden increase or improvement in rating or value

As Gore rode his post-convention bounce, the media started eyeballing Bush for signs of anxiety.—

Michelle Cottle

: a lively or energetic quality : verve, liveliness

full of bounce and enthusiasm

still has plenty of bounce in his step

: bluster sense 3

In William II the bullying spirit has developed into bounce and swagger …—

E. H. C. Oliphant

Example Sentences

Verb He was bouncing a tennis ball against the garage door. bouncing the ball back and forth The children love to bounce on the bed. The winner bounced up and down with delight. Her curls bounced as she jumped. He bounced the baby on his knee. She gave me a check for 20 dollars, but the check bounced, and I never got the money. He bounced a 100-dollar check at the grocery store. The store charges a $15 fee for a bounced check. Noun The ball took a high bounce over the shortstop's head. He caught the ball on the first bounce. a basketball that has lost all its bounce The shampoo promises to give limp hair lots of bounce. After the debates, she enjoyed a big bounce in the election polls. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The company's owner, Softbank, has been in financial trouble lately, and that has caused Arm to bounce from one dramatic possibility to another. —

Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2023 The songs, which bounce from outright rock power ballads to country yarns, fill the small space of the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater with electric energy. —

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2023 Starting quarterbacks bounce from one school to another. —

Joseph Hoyt, Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2023 Thursday’s temperatures should bounce between lows in the low 40s and highs in the low 70s. —

Andrea Morabito, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2023 This means that each side has to let the ball bounce once before returning it. —

Lisa Mulcahy, Good Housekeeping, 9 Nov. 2022 Part of their training involves performing on stages that move, vibrate, or bounce with the motion of the ocean. —

Ramsey Qubein, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2022 Hutterite children bounce on a trampoline, their long skirts floating against the open sky. —

Sarah Yager, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2023 Additionally, look for peers in a similar position to bounce ideas off of. —

Jordan Erskine, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2022

Noun

Isaiah Wong gets weird bounce to go in on a 3, and Miami's 7-0 run gives it a 54-50 lead. —

Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2023 After having a few trial-and-error submissions that didn’t get any bounce, I was getting daunted by the task. —

Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2023 And for those who favor volume, Zendaya and Meghann Fahy had blowout bounce to spare. —

Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2023 But in a sport where even the stoutest lineups can be felled by the fickle bounce of a puck, no GM is ever completely satisfied. —

Conor Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Feb. 2023 The responsive cushioning helps absorb shock with every step while providing added bounce to make walking—or running—easier. —

Samantha Jones, Men's Health, 22 Feb. 2023 The Mavericks collectively have extra bounce in their step and boosted confidence in their eyes. —

Dallas News, 13 Feb. 2023 Other cities longed for such an influx of tech-savvy professionals, but Austinites were ambivalent about the economic bounce. —

Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023 Finally, high-impact sports bras should entirely eliminate breast bounce. —

Amy Eisinger, M.a., SELF, 24 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bounce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.