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

The game actually drew a decent spring crowd of 10,000-12,000, partially because Chesney had worked so hard at banging the drum.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
According to the woman’s account, Leverett was banging his head against the walls and windows the day of the shooting.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 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

On the contrary, Atlanta United, which started play in 2017, got the All-Star Game in its second year after smashing several attendance records.

— Kamran Nia July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Worse still, scientists say orcas may be smashing into much smaller sunfish for fun.

— Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 July 2026

Definition of smashing

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

The team will take a day to settle in on Tuesday before hitting the practice field for the first of 13 sessions on Wednesday.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
Jerry Kelly birdied the 72nd hole Sunday (despite hitting the ball in a greenside bunker) to account for a 2-shot margin of victory over Gogel, Darren Fichardt and Cameon Perry.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 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 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of bumping

verb

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