as in banging
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
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Recent Examples of bumping
To alleviate all that blockiness and bulk, the architects chiseled it like a block of marble, shaving here, notching there, bumping out, and pulling in to give it interest in the round.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
The first day that Sterling arrived, there was music bumping out of a makeup tent on the soundstage.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 1 June 2026
That means your chances of bumping into other tourists are slim.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Terminus always made sure their arrival came just after nightfall when the streetlights were lit and families were sitting back with full bellies bumping against their dinner tables, houses quiet; all conversation having already been spent between forkfuls of food and hearty swallows of drink.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
But the Dodgers front office didn’t entertain the notion of bumping him, instead doubling down on their belief that the best thing for Sasaki’s long-term development was continuing to face big-league hitters.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 18 May 2026
If the veteran can return in a couple of weeks the club may prefer to keep Mayer at second, but if Story undergoes surgery and is sidelined for several months, bumping Mayer over makes more sense.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 May 2026
For cocktails and nightlife, hit TopGolf or Nola’s for live music then end the night strong with a table at HQ nightclub where resident and guest DJs keep the dance floor bumping and bottle servers keep the bubbly and energy flowing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
The blond boy came toward me, bumping Morris with one shoulder and almost knocking him over again.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 4 June 2026
The first day that Sterling arrived, there was music bumping out of a makeup tent on the soundstage.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 1 June 2026
That means your chances of bumping into other tourists are slim.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
Terminus always made sure their arrival came just after nightfall when the streetlights were lit and families were sitting back with full bellies bumping against their dinner tables, houses quiet; all conversation having already been spent between forkfuls of food and hearty swallows of drink.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
But the Dodgers front office didn’t entertain the notion of bumping him, instead doubling down on their belief that the best thing for Sasaki’s long-term development was continuing to face big-league hitters.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 18 May 2026
If the veteran can return in a couple of weeks the club may prefer to keep Mayer at second, but if Story undergoes surgery and is sidelined for several months, bumping Mayer over makes more sense.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 17 May 2026
For cocktails and nightlife, hit TopGolf or Nola’s for live music then end the night strong with a table at HQ nightclub where resident and guest DJs keep the dance floor bumping and bottle servers keep the bubbly and energy flowing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026
The blond boy came toward me, bumping Morris with one shoulder and almost knocking him over again.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
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Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe beating and banging all the way to the checkers.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
The new transmission responded more quickly and reduced involuntary head banging in the car’s cabin.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Rapid growth across parts of Northern Colorado is colliding with a growing challenge — being able to access enough electricity to support new homes and businesses.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
-
Massive pay packages like Arora’s are also colliding with a rash of populist proposals seeking to tax the rich and address a growing affordability crisis.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Over the past two months, Paul has accused Mortensen in court of stalking and, on one occasion, slamming her head into the dashboard of his truck.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
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Jacob got back into the match by slamming Reigns into a post.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Video shows a gang of Pokémon card thieves smashing display cases at a New Jersey hobby store and filling a trash bag with thousands of dollars worth of collectibles, according to police.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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In 2016, voters were asked to choose between a populist candidate dogged by questions about his integrity, judgment, decency, civility, empathy, and respect for everyone from complete strangers to his own wife, and an overqualified, glass-ceiling-smashing woman.—
Shannon A. Mullen,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The magic carpet ride of a season that included a Western League co-championship and a playoff run through the Loser’s Bracket that culminated in a CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship came to a crashing end Tuesday for the Patrick Henry High School baseball team.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
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Surveillance video from Echo Brickell shows a car speeding down Brickell Avenue early Saturday morning and crashing into a tree just feet away from a group of people walking on the sidewalk.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Sounds like big savings knocking on your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Steven Schwally was convicted of all charges, including second-degree murder, by jurors who watched heart-stopping video of the high-speed crash in his trial for drunkenly ramming his car into the Hawaii Nail Salon and Spa in Deer Park on June 28, 2024.—
Jennifer McLogan,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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And in the West Bank, emergency responders said a 17-year-old Israeli girl was in serious condition and a 15-year-old also was hurt in what police described as a ramming attack near a bus stop at Gush Etzion Junction.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The play started with Muncy hitting a ground ball up the first-base line.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
London’s Christian Olivares, a USC pledge, extended the lead in the third inning, hitting a two-run home run to left field.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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