chest-thumping
noun
chest-thump·ing
ˈches(t)-ˌthəm-piŋ 
: conduct or expression marked by pompous or arrogant self-assertion
political chest-thumping
Examples of chest-thumping in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His remarks about Iran moved beyond personal attacks or chest-thumping nationalism to take on a tone of collective punishment and civilizational destruction.
—
Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
That didn’t stop Uthmeier from chest-thumping across social-media platforms.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
The hair-whipping, chest-thumping church founder uprooted her polarizing sect from Manchester, England, to Manhattan before fleeing farther still into the countryside.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Plenty of glee, no chest-thumping.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 Feb. 2026
And then there is the chest-thumping.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Abbott’s campaign bank balance is a chest-thumping number that dwarfs any other candidate’s fundraising figures for the latter half of 2025.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Not the loud, chest-thumping kind, but the quiet sort that turned the Nets from a punchline into a problem.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Zscaler’s volume—half a trillion transactions a day—isn’t just chest-thumping.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
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Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
That didn’t stop Uthmeier from chest-thumping across social-media platforms.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
The hair-whipping, chest-thumping church founder uprooted her polarizing sect from Manchester, England, to Manhattan before fleeing farther still into the countryside.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Plenty of glee, no chest-thumping.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 2 Feb. 2026
And then there is the chest-thumping.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Abbott’s campaign bank balance is a chest-thumping number that dwarfs any other candidate’s fundraising figures for the latter half of 2025.
—Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Not the loud, chest-thumping kind, but the quiet sort that turned the Nets from a punchline into a problem.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Zscaler’s volume—half a trillion transactions a day—isn’t just chest-thumping.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chest-thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chest-thumping. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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