1
as in swelling
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
that's a nasty bump on your arm where you hit the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to bang
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
Jessica Simpson and her ex-husband Nick Lachey reportedly bumped into each other on a flight.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bump
Noun
The Pixel series features Google’s Camera Bar, an oblong camera bump that runs horizontally across the back panel.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 7 Apr. 2026
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Verb
SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the commercial spaceflight company is bumping the 2026 debut launch of its massive Starship rocket yet again.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026
Jessica Simpson and her ex-husband Nick Lachey reportedly bumped into each other on a flight.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bump
Noun
-
Bell's Palsy typically results from inflammation or swelling of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), and is often linked to viral infections that that impact the nerve.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Both suffer from cerebral swelling (an oddly specific detail).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Suleyman's 'demotion' With Copilot struggling to win over users, Microsoft said two weeks ago that Mustafa Suleyman, the former co-founder of AI lab DeepMind who had been running Copilot development for consumers, will focus on building AI models.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The change is the most important yet in Rodriguez's cabinet and marks the demotion of a longtime powerbroker who controlled Venezuela's sprawling military.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The near collision comes less than a month after a fatal crash took place between an Air Canada flight and a firetruck at New York's LaGuardia Airport in late March.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The collision resulted in serious injuries to the motorcyclist.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the rebound lying in the goal mouth, Malkin was on the spot to bang it home.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Oregon State, Washington State, New Mexico State, San Jose State and others have expressed interest for the forward who can bang inside, run the floor and hit the mid-range jumper.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite advances in breast imaging, breast biopsy remains the only definitive method to determine whether a suspicious lump is cancerous.—
Quing Zhu,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl; discard any lumps.—
Erin Merhar,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In a tense call after Altman’s firing, the board pressed him to acknowledge a pattern of deception.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Not with a dramatic firing, not with a bitter exit, but with an acquisition that made my role redundant.—
Geoff Curtis,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moments later, a bass thump sounded in the distance.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The experimental jet, part of NASA’s Quesst mission, is designed to fly faster than the speed of sound while producing only a soft sonic thump instead of a disruptive boom.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When the expectation of change collides with a system configured to withstand change, combustion often follows.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
On March 22, an Air Canada jet carrying 76 people collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bump. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
