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
This boundary-breaking dance drama follows Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romantic entanglement that all starts with a rousing night of bumping and grinding.
—
Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Only 11% of drivers in the study admitted to violent road rage behaviors in the last year, such as bumping other cars on purpose or confronting other drivers.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
At Penn State, though, some of the key figures involved have been bumping heads for years.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
In older games, that meant randomly cutting to a combat screen when bumping into an invisible creature, but newer ones like 2022’s Scarlet and Violet let users see Pokémon out in the wild.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Additionally, the study claimed, 11% of those surveyed admitted to intentionally bumping others or confronting another driver out of frustration.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Perhaps in an attempt to fire him up, Reid was caught in a heated conversation with Kelce late in the second quarter, with him and the tight end bumping chests.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
The two could be seen shouting at one another, with Reid bumping the 35-year-old with his shoulder during the conversation.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Multiple cars can move in parallel without bumping into each other.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Only 11% of drivers in the study admitted to violent road rage behaviors in the last year, such as bumping other cars on purpose or confronting other drivers.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
At Penn State, though, some of the key figures involved have been bumping heads for years.
—Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
In older games, that meant randomly cutting to a combat screen when bumping into an invisible creature, but newer ones like 2022’s Scarlet and Violet let users see Pokémon out in the wild.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Additionally, the study claimed, 11% of those surveyed admitted to intentionally bumping others or confronting another driver out of frustration.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Perhaps in an attempt to fire him up, Reid was caught in a heated conversation with Kelce late in the second quarter, with him and the tight end bumping chests.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
The two could be seen shouting at one another, with Reid bumping the 35-year-old with his shoulder during the conversation.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Multiple cars can move in parallel without bumping into each other.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
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For many, banging them in against the likes of Konyaspor and Goztepe last term is not a convincing retort to those questions.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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In a trial that began Wednesday, six Cubans, including independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea, also face sentences of up to nine years in prison for staging a cacerolazo protest, banging pots and pans during a blackout in the Villa Clara province in November 2024.—
Nora Gamez Torres,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The critique, rooted in research and observations about generational values and preparedness, is now colliding with practical workplace realities, as managers and educators scramble to bridge gaps between Gen Z expectations and employer demands.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
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No photograph could catch the smell drifting from the nearby military barracks and Indian camps; capture the murmured swirl of French, English, Arapaho, and Lakota; or let a viewer feel the colliding anxieties and expectations that hung heavy over negotiations like this.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kirk followed Guerrero the next inning, slamming the first of his two homers over the outfield wall.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Nonprofit watchdog group Human Rights Watch and fellow comedians like David Cross and Marc Maron, however, are saying otherwise, accusing the festival of deflecting from the country's human rights violations and slamming their peers for their involvement.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Brown climbed the ladder to haul in a pass over the middle from Madsen, beating his defender in the air acrobatically before smashing into the end zone turf for the catch and a 33-14 lead.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Sep. 2025
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Superman proved to fire off the new DC under chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, while the original gambles that Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy have made at the larger Warner Bros Motion Picture Group with Sinners and F1, as well as new IP A Minecraft Movie, have been smashing successes.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Netflix released its first teaser of the movie on Instagram July 1, as audiences heard Bader and Blyth speak in character as Poppy and Alex for the first time in a voiceover with footage of waves crashing against a rock.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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The driver also brake-checked the officer, but the officer managed to avoid crashing into the back of the Buick, according to police.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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The clash with Hamlin ended badly after the 44-year-old driver made contact while trying to overtake Gibbs, knocking him out of the race.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Across the world, there has been an alarming rise in antisemitic attacks, including a deadly car ramming and stabbing outside a synagogue in Manchester just this past Thursday.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
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One of the drivers accused of ramming into the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon, according to McLaughlin.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Dodgers are one of the better teams in baseball at hitting changeups from lefties like Sánchez.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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