thumb

Definition of thumbnext
1
as in to hitch
to travel by securing free rides thought I'd thumb into town instead of paying for a cab

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2
as in to flip
to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner I thumbed through the book during the flight but was too distracted to really read it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 thumb For months, this young, rambunctious, and altogether infectious bunch played with house money, thumbing their collective noses at the idea of another year of rebuild futility. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026 When the Chicago Tribune went after him, stirring up the first of many federal, state, and local investigations into Robinson's activities, Noah thumbed his nose. Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 Why did Lucas take the note from De Palma while thumbing his nose at studio suggestions? Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 Vonn thumbed her nose at the odds. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumb
Verb
  • Economist Jayati Ghosh, who researched India's COVID response, estimates some 80 million migrant workers tried to return home, walking and hitching rides in searing summer heat.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Researchers have confirmed that invasive flatworms can hitch rides on your pet’s fur, clinging to their coat after time in the yard or garden.
    Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The trio has completely reimagined what a jukebox musical and a movie adaptation can be, taking the blueprint of what Broadway has been leaning on for decades now and flipping it, joyfully, on its head.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Last year’s Public Service Commission flips were a blaring warning sign in a cycle dominated by voter anxiety over affordability and utility costs.
    Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • On March 17, a video obtained by TMZ showed LaBeouf in a hotel lobby in Rome, Italy, wearing only his underwear and trying to bum a light for a cigarette.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Spring cleaning bumming you out?
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • At the site, trees are leafing as workers add finishing touches.
    Aria Jones, Dallas Morning News, 25 Mar. 2026
  • But other begonia varieties have foliage that can hold its own in the garden when the plants aren't flowering, too, like the Polka Dot begonia (Begonia maculata) and the orange-leafed 'Autumn Crinkle' begonia, a rhizomatous hybrid.
    Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Your journey may not be as dramatic as Bob Dylan hitchhiking from Minnesota to Greenwich Village.
    Bill Gurley, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
  • This is a prime way these insects hitchhike to their next location.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Some travelers skim this section and move on.
    Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Fifteen-year-old Savannah wore white pumps with a few inches of heel while the younger two completed their outfits with a pair of loafers (Isla) and a skimming ballerina flat (Georgina).
    Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Thumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumb. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.

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