as in hitting
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
she playfully bopped him on the head
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 bopping
Fans were on their feet bopping along.
—
CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Are Fanny and her mother related to Claire in some other way — Claire’s mother, Julia, sings the same song to her newborn son William, who could still be bopping around singing that song in the 18th century.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
No agents of the state will yank you out of a stadium for bopping along to this!
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Still bopping to the top, 20 years later!
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty bring crackling wit and easy chemistry to a mismatched pair bopping between boroughs.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Famed film director Spike Lee and Hip-hop stalwarts Common and Black Thought could be seen bopping their heads to the Songs In The Key of Life favorite.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
This Zara Asymmetric Fringe Skirt captures to cozy, elevated look perfectly, ideal for everything from bopping around the city with my toddler to going out for cocktails in Milan.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
According to various videos circulating, partygoers across the city were in for a surprise as Mamdani, 34, was spotted bopping behind DJ booths, MCing street parties, and participating in Halloween dance memes.
—Sirena Bergman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Are Fanny and her mother related to Claire in some other way — Claire’s mother, Julia, sings the same song to her newborn son William, who could still be bopping around singing that song in the 18th century.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
No agents of the state will yank you out of a stadium for bopping along to this!
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Still bopping to the top, 20 years later!
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty bring crackling wit and easy chemistry to a mismatched pair bopping between boroughs.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
Famed film director Spike Lee and Hip-hop stalwarts Common and Black Thought could be seen bopping their heads to the Songs In The Key of Life favorite.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
This Zara Asymmetric Fringe Skirt captures to cozy, elevated look perfectly, ideal for everything from bopping around the city with my toddler to going out for cocktails in Milan.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
According to various videos circulating, partygoers across the city were in for a surprise as Mamdani, 34, was spotted bopping behind DJ booths, MCing street parties, and participating in Halloween dance memes.
—Sirena Bergman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bopping
Verb
-
Gerhardt Konig hoped Thursday to persuade a Hawaiian jury that hitting his wife repeatedly with a rock was self-defense.—
April 2,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In Los Angeles, Jonathon Redondo-Rosales was charged with assault for smacking an agent with a hat after a car struck him.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But a leadoff walk in the top of the 9th allowed Eugenio Suárez to knock in what would prove to be the winning run, smacking a double to left center field and scoring pinch runner Javier Sonoja.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines across the region, like Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are slapping hefty fuel surcharges on flights; Vietnam and the Philippines are even weighing whether to ground planes.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But every so often there comes a day that is so different—so unusual—so spectacular that its happening can only be chalked up to old-fashioned, knee-slapping good luck.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The oil shortage has also affected public services and food transportation, prompting rare protests in some cities, with citizens banging pots and pans and lighting bonfires in the darkness.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Many of us at City Hall also have been banging our heads against the wall about it, but the situation is more grim than most Chicagoans realize.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those of us not actually knocking hung back in the stairwell; even so, some residents were hesitant to engage.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In the fall, residents learn about the process through public service announcements, local media, door-knocking outreach or word of mouth.—
Celina Su,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The man responded by punching the child's father in the nose, court documents said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Michigan made a statement on Sunday, punching its ticket to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
A lot of the percussion in the score, in fact, is the Wells Cathedral school kids clapping and stomping.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
-
An early scene sees the twins caught up in a flurry of breathless games, clapping in unison, finishing each other’s rhymes.—
Rhoda Feng,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bopping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bopping. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
