BUMPING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 Team 2023 Hagel becomes our first player to pull double-duty, bumping Ryan O’Reilly out of the forward group. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 21 July 2026 This can sometimes work against you, though, since bumping the front of the laptop can register as an input. — John Loeffler, PC Magazine, 20 July 2026 Pets and other animals accidentally start hundreds of home fires each year, often by knocking over candles, tipping space heaters or bumping stove knobs. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 15 July 2026 There’s Swain in a Texas Longhorns jersey, bumping defenders off-balance with his hip and scooping the ball out of the reach of outstretched hands. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping

Verb

Part of Ludwig Göransson’s score is based on the sound of banging pieces of bronze, which turn out to be the alarm bells of Troy, a warning of violence that echoes throughout the film.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 July 2026
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

Definition of banging

Verb

When two helicopters operate in close proximity, their rotors risk colliding in flight and then coming apart explosively, which would lead the aircraft to fall to the ground with the aerodynamics of a lawn dart.

— Brynn Tannehill, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Their ability to absorb the energy of colliding cars—forcing rails to curl up, rather than spear—is the result of decades of clever engineering.

— Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of colliding

Verb

Over the past several months, Taylor has accused Mortensen in court of stalking and, on one occasion, slamming her head into the dashboard of his truck.

— Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Because of this tremendous heat, hydrogen atoms in the inner core of stars are zipping along at incredible speeds and slamming into each other with astonishing violence.

— Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026

Definition of slamming

Verb

Just 16 minutes passed between Florian Lipowitz crashing out and his teammate Remco Evenepoel winning stage 16 of the Tour de France.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 22 July 2026
The pickup continued about a block along Taylor Road, nearly striking several pedestrians before crashing into a tree, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of crashing

Verb

The surveillance footage released by police in 2012 from the night before the murder showed a person in a hoodie and baggy pants walking up the stairs outside Chavez’s apartment and knocking on the door.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Jay Harry is knocking at the door Blue Jays designated hitter Sean Keys had a front-row seat for Jay Harry’s breakout season.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 21 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

The New York Yankees want to add a right-handed hitting catcher, and the Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers still appears to be their most obvious target.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
But what does Porsha being a liar have to do with Shamea hitting below the belt unprompted?

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026

Definition of hitting

Browse Nearby Words

bumpers

bumping

bumping into

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“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bumping

verb

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