1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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
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
About ⅓ of the way down the stem, locate an outward-facing leaf node or bump where a leaf attaches to the stem. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 Of course, Preece’s move into the field meant bumping out another driver. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 5 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
  • Detectives with the Police Department’s major collision investigation unit and crime scene investigators are investigating, according to Smith.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • According to Fort Worth police, a motorist — later identified as Dwabe — had stopped to help the occupants of a vehicle who’d been involved in a collision.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • 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
  • As the spot ends, the robot is left banging its head against a wall.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bang
Noun
  • Fresh lump crab meat, three cheeses, and a few tangy and spicy ingredients meld into one dreamy dip.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, a debt relief company may be able to help after a lawsuit has been filed — particularly in terms of negotiating a lower lump-sum settlement on the debt.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • Both locations put the Houthis within firing distance of any ships that attempt to traverse the narrow strait.
    — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Since Macklemore’s firing, all of Sheeran’s openers have quit the tour.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • 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
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • The system is a maze in which laws collide with gray areas, where layers upon layers of policy have accumulated over decades in a pile waiting for reform that has never come.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • One person was killed when two gliders collided in mid-air in upstate New York on Friday afternoon, New York State Police said in a statement.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 19 Sep. 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 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All