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
This marks the tech giant’s fourth price bump in the last four years. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Zhang Jianxin watches shoppers fist-bump with a shiny, gyrating, humanoid robot at his showroom in China’s southern city of Guangzhou. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
In June, Luna hopped clumsily from one branch to another, bumping Sandy off her perch and sending her to a branch below. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Fire Stick competitor Roku bumped the prices of its Roku Ultra streaming device $50, from $100 to $150. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 23 Aug. 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
  • Strong dosages of antimicrobial drugs and aggressive management of brain swelling can help treat someone who has become infected.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Her symptoms included vaginal bleeding, high blood pressure, leg swelling and back pain.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of swelling
Noun
  • Now, in 2026, some still can't get over Pluto's demotion to a dwarf planet.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But after two decades in the rearview, Pluto’s demotion still stirs anger and controversy, and many people regard its change in status as a very bad thing.
    — Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of demotion
Noun
  • The collision was at least partially blamed for preventing the Reds from recording the third out and allowing the inning to continue.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The minibus taxi burst into flames and was reduced to a shell following the collision, according to local media, which published pictures of the wreckage.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • Fast-forward five centuries later to modern-day Seattle, and Liz is forever banging her head hearing her husband's persistent little cough.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The water stops suddenly, making the pipe shudder or bang against the wall or another surface.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bang
Noun
  • Then there’s the fact that many potential investors aren’t quite sure what to make of a company from a mostly empty lump of volcanic rock in the middle of the North Atlantic.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The process produces pebble-sized lumps called clinker, which are then ground into cement powder.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • Training units would not need to replace the complete launch pod after every firing cycle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among other requests, the complaint asked the court to declare the firings unlawful under the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act and bar the Pentagon from proceeding with the terminations.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The lower-vocal harmony struggles to stand out any time the deeper bass thumps.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • The former is meant to image extremely wide sections of the cosmos to capture tons of fleeting phenomena that are hard to catch — things like supernovas, fast radio bursts and maybe even colliding neutron stars.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Part of what’s colliding here, Webb added, is generational and emotional, not just financial.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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