bucketing

verb

present participle of bucket
1
as in scooping
to lift out with something that holds liquid bucketing water from the well, we raced to put out the fire

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shaking
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements getting the troops into the bucketing landing craft proved to be challenging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 bucketing Similarly revealing is our chances created grid, bucketing the start locations of every pass that has led directly to a goalscoring opportunity for a team-mate. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 10 June 2026 Six months later, the internship — some of which bore all the glamour of scrubbing bird poop and bucketing hundreds of pounds of fish as dolphin food — developed into a full-time gig as a trainer. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bucketing
  1. scooping
  2. shaking
  3. emptying
  4. jerking
  5. spooning
  6. vibrating
  7. shuddering
  8. quivering
Verb
  • There’s Swain in a Texas Longhorns jersey, bumping defenders off-balance with his hip and scooping the ball out of the reach of outstretched hands.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Fire personnel were scooping water from the Pueblo Reservoir to fight the fire, which expanded overnight by 17 square miles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of scooping
Verb
  • He is later seen greeting incarcerated men in the prison canteen, shaking hands and performing with several inmates serving as his backing band.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Jelly then enters the prison canteen, greeting hundreds of other inmates and shaking their hands.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • Most can be set to activate on a timer, and some are even capable of self-emptying their collection bins and automatically recharging themselves.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • The Automatic Second Round Is No Longer Guaranteed The evidence does not show that GLP-1 drugs are emptying America’s bars.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of emptying
Verb
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises against twisting or jerking the tick.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026
  • Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026
Definition of jerking
Verb
  • The fun part of this recipe is poking holes in the cake and then spooning in the blueberry and strawberry fillings alternately to create the red, white, and blue effect.
    — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
  • Make the most of strawberry season by swirling a quick sauce into vanilla ice cream and spooning more on top.
    — Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026
Definition of spooning
Verb
  • Warm objects emit electromagnetic radiation, or light, because their atoms and molecules are constantly vibrating.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
  • Kary watched from her backyard as the house was demolished, her feet vibrating beneath her.
    — Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 6 July 2026
Definition of vibrating
Verb
  • These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge.
    — Nick Ayres DeMasi, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
  • Choose Baits with Vibration Lipless crankbaits earn their keep each spring, as their shuddering motion creates the bait-mimicking tremors to which bass respond.
    — David A. Brown, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Definition of shuddering
Verb
  • Located on the street level of the Harbor Boulevard complex, the new shop gives dessert-loving denizens another place to pick up the quivering treat.
    — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
  • Johnston plays poor Bear as a quivering mess wracked with guilt that this monster — who used to be his friend — is the result of his own terrible decision-making.
    — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Definition of quivering

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Cite this Entry

“Bucketing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bucketing. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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