bobs 1 of 3

plural of bob, Scottish
as in bouquets
a bunch of flowers the lassie carried only a little bob on her wedding day

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bobs

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bob
as in shaves
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument bobbed her waist-length hair herself on her 18th birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bobs

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bob

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 bobs
Noun
Read on for 10 bobs that wear well at any age. Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 16 June 2026 Just a few months after their 13th birthday, the sisters got matching flippy bobs to attend the premiere of Anna and the King in matching pearl necklaces, black cardigans and fringed skirts — one lavender, one pink. Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026 Short hairstyles for brunettes vary from pixies and bobs to shoulder cuts. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 June 2026 Mancuso went from needing five or six bobs for the Bob Army sketch this season to needing 14 and one for a dog — technically doable, but still a big lift to figure out exactly how to coordinate and build what’s needed. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 June 2026 There are bobs that are much more geometric, polished, or structured—like the classic straight bob or blunt bob—while the Capri bob looks for movement and a certain pretty imperfection. Vanessa Santos, Glamour, 1 June 2026 Smith bobs and weaves around the question. USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026 While the ’60s was known for its backcombed bouffants and brushed back bobs, about midway through the decade, Brigitte Bardot brought pigtails into the beauty zeitgeist. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Dec. 2024 Lately, bobs have been on the rise, thanks to celebrities showing off their sleek new chops. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026 Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them. Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 The reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live. Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025 But sometimes even icons need to switch things up a bit—cue the dizzying array of flippy waves, shags, and bobs over the years. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bobs
Noun
  • Add fresh linen napkins, small bouquets of seasonal flowers, and some candles to the table for ambiance.
    Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Aug. 2025
  • There are also wildflower bouquets from Eco Farm, handwoven floor coverings from Crow Hill Rugs, metal sculptures from Foster’s Custom Steel, and a variety of goodies (such as Sunshine Morning Buns filled with lemon curd from Sari Sari Sweets).
    Kelly Alexander, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To achieve this, Hank takes control in the dynamic and shaves Aaron’s entire body.
    Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Granted, the sale that also shaves prices (all too briefly) on everything from fashion to home decor can be overwhelming to shop.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Resilience pumps through his veins, mixed in with the ice water that keeps him cool in the clutch.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 8 June 2026
  • The actress opted for the romantic I Love Vivier pumps from the I Love Vivier collection, which celebrates the theme of love.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.
    Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Elleray, predictably, bangs the drum for VAR 10 years after IFAB gave it the green light.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The couple's wedding favors, meanwhile, were comprised of individual posies of myrtle and white Balmoral heather.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The boxy design further elevates the reversible pattern–big, bolder florals on one side, and delicate posies on the other.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The device clips magnetically to the rear of any MagSafe-compatible smartphone or case.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
  • Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Violence touched my life as a young person, and seeing our own children, parents, and neighbors go through this shakes me deeply.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025
  • Kiffin's leaving the Rebels certainly shakes things up.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Food and drink The restaurant is intimate, with seating for 40, but the food punches way above its weight.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
  • Many of these nations have spent years building a footballing infrastructure that punches well above their demographic weight.
    Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 11 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bobs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobs. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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