bumping

verb

present participle of bump
as in banging
to come into usually forceful contact with something that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 bumping In this case, safe meant a track big enough for two riders to race without bumping into each other. — Miami Herald, 25 June 2026 Hurd was seen fist-bumping another attacker moments after deputies intervened, Madden Ragland said. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 Scotland fans are in Miami for the national team’s World Cup match against Brazil on Wednesday and many attended Monday’s series opener bumping the attendance to 20,008. — ABC News, 22 June 2026 The team initially brought McCollum off the bench before bumping him intothe starting unit after the All-Star break. — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 21 June 2026 Hemani’s case landed at a time when state cannabis laws and federal gun rules are bumping heads more than ever. — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Use light pressure when rubbing the skin, and avoid washing multiple peaches at once to prevent them from bumping into each other. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 14 June 2026 This last concern, which could’ve effectively sabotaged anybody trying to train competing models by quietly bumping them down to less powerful models without their knowledge, proved controversial enough for Anthropic to change its mind. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026 Gilman pulled rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen to the ground after a catch, later bumping rookie running back Emmett Johnson hard enough that Johnson’s helmet popped off. — Pete Sweeney june 11, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
  1. banging
  2. colliding
  3. slamming
  4. smashing
  5. crashing
  6. knocking
  7. ramming
  8. hitting
Verb
  • Then the team did it, sitting on the field after beating Ivory Coast to reach the round of 16, with captain Martin Odegaard banging the drum.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • And on bikes no-one sane would ever consider banging around a racetrack on.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • These two masters of image management provided colliding—utopian versus dystopian—scenes at contrasting Fourth of July weekend mega events.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 8 July 2026
  • Outcomes and distribution are colliding in how agents get sold, too.
    — Harshil Shah, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of colliding
Verb
  • With men on first and second against Andrew Alvarez (2-3), Rice hit a drive on the fourth straight curveball from Alvarez that center fielder Dylan Crews was unable to catch while slamming into the wall.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 July 2026
  • Six fighting bulls and their steers repeatedly knocked runners to the cobblestones, with one bull breaking from the herd and slamming into a cluster of unsuspecting participants.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • Stacking layers like a gourmet burger is the secret behind smashing efficiency and stability records.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
  • Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of smashing
Verb
  • Ten miles south of Deetjen’s, set outdoors above the crashing surf of a secluded beach cove, the massages at wellness mecca Esalen Institute are legendary.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • Jáminton Campaz got the ball past Miro Muheim before the two collided, sending the Colombian crashing to the ground.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Definition of crashing
Verb
  • Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
  • Belgium trounced the United States, winning 4-1, knocking the hosts out of the competition.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • Rampaging around towns on the Tasmanian coast, Neil has stolen hearts even as he has been spotted overturning road posts, ramming into cars, sleeping in residential areas and blocking traffic.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
  • Other threats against such large events include a potential vehicle-ramming attack or a mass shooting.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of ramming
Verb
  • There was more talk of hitting a provisional, but Spieth refused.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • That cool air crashes toward the ground, then spreads outward in every direction like water hitting the floor.
    — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of hitting

Browse Nearby Words

bumpers
bumping
bumping into
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Cite this Entry

“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bumping

Nglish: Translation of bumping for Spanish Speakers

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