as in banging
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The Chiefs were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles—at one point, the score was 34–0—and Kelce was spotted on the sidelines screaming at and bumping the Chiefs’ coach, Andy Reid.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Some other popular institutions also have extended hours on certain days year-round, which allows visitors to enjoy world-class artworks without bumping elbows with others.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Some other popular institutions also have extended hours on certain days year-round, which allows visitors to enjoy world-class artworks without bumping elbows with others.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 1 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
-
Gilbert, who graduated from the district’s New School For Community Service in 2008, recalled banging the rhythm on his desk as a teenager.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
One of the loudest voices was 29-year-old Neil Lothamer, of Indianapolis, who added pot-banging to his chorus.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Richardson’s injury wasn’t the only unusual pregame incident the Colts experienced, with cornerback Charvarius Ward sustaining a concussion after colliding with a teammate during warmups.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Avoid an acid overload of tart and tangy (pickles and citrus), a bold flavor competition, sweet and funky flavors colliding (fruity jams and aged cheeses), and a clash of spicy meats and cheeses with delicate fruits and accompaniments.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israel, meanwhile, has emerged from the war in a much stronger security position after decimating Hamas in Gaza, slamming Hezbollah in Lebanon, and hammering Iran's nuclear facilities.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Bill Burr is lashing out at critics for slamming his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Balmer reportedly scaled a wall outside the mansion in Harrisburg before smashing windows, throwing homemade incendiary devices and eventually entering himself.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The Vultee aircraft completed a flight from Los Angeles to New York in 11 hours and 34 minutes and 16 seconds, smashing the existing record of 12 hours for that distance.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The film, which centers on a woman whose life is literally and figuratively crashing down around her, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival before heading to the Berlin Film Festival, where Byrne was awarded the best actress prize.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Jenner, now a billionaire, launched her makeup brand under the persona, her multi-toned lip kits often crashing the company site from popularity.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
-
After being discovered, the woman shoves Lo's head into the wall, knocking her unconscious, and locks her away in a storage room deep within the yacht.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On Saturday, federal agents arrested two people accused of ramming government vehicles.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Last week, at least two Jewish worshippers were killed and three others seriously injured in a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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 Oct. 2025
-
Fanning flatlines when left to be a solo show as Bertino whacks her around like a pinball, hitting big, loud scares that seem to keep resetting.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share