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 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
Outdoor play was spontaneous, fueled by riding my bike around my neighborhood and bumping into other kids who wanted to join me.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 4 June 2026
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
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
Outdoor play was spontaneous, fueled by riding my bike around my neighborhood and bumping into other kids who wanted to join me.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 4 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
-
Cars pushed through the crowd, hitting at least one person as agitators continued banging, kicking and blocking government vehicles.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
6 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
-
Brunson, already a postseason hero, took several hard knocks throughout the night, including a minor ankle tweak after colliding with Luke Kornet.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
The worlds of soccer and music are colliding in Decatur soon.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The Massachusetts Republican Party is slamming both Markey and Healey for backing Platner.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
Hugh Laurie has apologized to a writer after slamming her criticisms of House on social media.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 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
-
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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Visitors can tour the museum in the former keeper’s house, explore scenic coastal trails and photograph waves crashing against the rocks.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Byron Buxton opened the game with his team-high 19th homer on the first pitch after missing the Twins’ previous two games after injuring his right shoulder while crashing into the wall against Kansas City on Friday.—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The complaint alleges Hickey was walking along a spectator pathway outside the arena fence when Party Bus suddenly jumped into the crowd and landed on top of her, knocking Hickey to the ground and crushing her right shoulder and right calf.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
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After knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup, for example, Croatia’s players were keen to throw that line back in their face afterwards.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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His most recent conviction resulted from a 2018 case when authorities said he was shot after ramming multiple Fremont undercover police cars, as officers tried to arrest him in a string of car burglaries across the Bay Area.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
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Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam has also joined the conversation, criticizing Marion County after a suspect with several pending cases in Indianapolis was arrested for stealing a vehicle and then ramming it into a Carmel home.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Pages followed with a single and Keller loaded the bases by hitting Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy with two outs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
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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,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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