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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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

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
Noun
The stock hit a bump in late June after Apple announced price increases across its MacBook and iPad lineup as higher memory costs rippled through the technology industry. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026 The iPhone 18 Pro, on the other hand, could see a minimal bump from 4,252mAh to 4,288mAh. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 16 July 2026
Verb
Then the truck bumped over a rut and the tape deck jumped to life. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 The controversy only exploded the very next week when it was revealed the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) re-implemented a pilot program that bumped every girl who finished behind the trans athlete up by one spot on the podium. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 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
  • For lipedema, Power Plate points to research suggesting whole-body vibration boosts lymphatic flow, which may liquefy and drain stubborn lymph fluid, relieve swelling and ease chronic pain.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
  • In rare cases, large amounts can cause throat swelling and difficulty breathing.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of swelling
Noun
  • There were concerns about the ripple effects of another demotion.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Smith’s first stint in New York marked a turbulent time, which included a demotion after starting his first two seasons and getting punched in the face by his Jets teammate, IK Enemkpali, during an altercation in the locker room in 2015.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of demotion
Noun
  • Waymo’s support team is automatically notified if the vehicle crashes, and a roadside assistance representative will come to the collision site to assess the situation in person.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Placing the heavy shielding and reactor components in the middle minimizes the physical stress caused by bending moments at sea and insulates the nuclear systems from external side-impact collisions.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • For example, Nolan imagined an alarm system for Troy with its citizens banging sheets of metal that would get louder as the Greek threat became more urgent.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • Moshobane outworked Sacramento midfielder Danny Crisostomo for the ball and banged it into the far side of the net.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
Definition of bang
Noun
  • Symptoms can include a lump in the armpit, dimpled skin on the chest, red or flaky skin near the nipple, pain or tenderness on the chest or armpit, clear or bloody nipple discharge and an inverted nipple, per the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • Yet his go-to idea with the minutes running out against Argentina was to bring on Dan Burn — nothing against the player himself — to be a big lump in both penalty areas.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • The comment resulted in the employee being fired, but the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the firing violated the employee’s First Amendment rights.
    — Corey Schmidt July 17, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • Such a timeline seems plausible, as Russian officials have previously disclosed that the RD-0169A rocket engine intended to power the Amur rocket is in the preliminary stages of test firings.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • Duggan Borges gestures around the studio, that thump still coming through the ceiling.
    — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
  • Quesst—a needle-nosed experimental aircraft with an airframe designed to reduce the typical sonic boom to a sonic thump.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Minus the dull thud of the boats gently colliding with the wooden posts they’re tied to, the normally busy thoroughfare is quiet.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Soccer’s best player and soccer’s dominant team are set to collide Sunday in a World Cup final worthy of the sport’s grandest stage.
    — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of collide

Phrases Containing bump

Browse Nearby Words

bum (out)
bump
bumped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bump. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bump

Nglish: Translation of bump for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All