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bump 1 of 2

noun

ˈbəmp How to pronounce bump (audio)
Definition of bumpnext
1
as in swelling
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue that's a nasty bump on your arm where you hit the table

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2
as in demotion
the act or an instance of bringing to a lower grade or rank the bump was punishment for insubordination

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3
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things I felt the bump of the other car, but there was no damage to either vehicle

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bump

2 of 2

verb

as in to bang
to come into usually forceful contact with something that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized

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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 bump
Noun
To pay for the bond, property owners would see a slight tax bump over the next 20 years. — Wilkine Brutus, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 Ahead, our favorite formulas help smooth things over—whatever’s behind the bumps. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
Google bumped the Pixel Watch 5 by $50, bringing it to an identical $399 base price as Apple's entry model. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 Austin Mock’s model bumped their playoff odds to 33 percent after Week 1. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bump
  1. swelling
  2. demotion
  3. collision
  4. bang
  5. lump
  6. firing
  7. thump
  8. collide
Noun
  • Reid said Friday that the Chiefs’ athletic training staff has been working to keep the swelling down in Conner’s knee.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The viral disease causes a blotchy rash and flulike symptoms but can develop into severe, life-threatening illnesses, such as pneumonia and brain swelling.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of swelling
Noun
  • McCoy’s lawsuit alleges that her demotion was in violation of Missouri’s whistleblower statute, which allows public employees to sue for unlawful retaliation after reporting violations of law.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The outcome of the investigation, Balon said, resulted in the officer receiving a demotion in rank, an unpaid suspension, an indefinite suspension from the use of Flock and remedial ethics training.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of demotion
Noun
  • For the latter, this is vital to enable the safe passage of ships through shipping lanes, into and out of ports, all the while preventing collisions and aiding activities like search and rescue.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That group, which focuses on efforts to reduce the number of fatal vehicle collisions, has produced dozens of digital campaign ads promoting Raman and criticizing her opponent, Mayor Karen Bass.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • Officers were responding to a house sitter who discovered the damage while checking on loud banging in the home’s rear, police said.
    — Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Both banged off the Tropicana Field catwalk in foul territory, nullifying the catch made on both of them.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of bang
Noun
  • The real estate sector is taking its lumps as Treasury yields surge, but Mizuho sees plenty of potential for two dividend-paying stocks in that corner of the market.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Through two weeks of the Dallas Cowboys’ season, there are some lumps that the team’s defense has taken that have been reminiscent of the last two porous efforts on that side of the ball.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • At the heart of the GOP frustration with Hegseth is his handling of military firings and promotions.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Following the coach’s firing in July 2023, more than 260 Northwestern faculty members signed a petition calling for the stadium plans to be halted until at least athletic department’s problems could be sorted out.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Giants lineup even lacked Rafael Devers’ considerable thump for the first time since the Giants traded for him last summer.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • The second-year tight end also visited the blue medical tent on the sideline Sunday after a 19-yard catch-and-run in which he got collided hard with a Browns defensive back.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Starring and executive produced by Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, Season 3 of Lioness sees hidden networks, foreign operatives and personal betrayals collide.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of collide

Phrases Containing bump

Browse Nearby Words

bum (out)
bump
bumped
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Cite this Entry

“Bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bump. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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