1
as in lumps
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
that's a nasty bump on your arm where you hit the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in demotions
the act or an instance of bringing to a lower grade or rank
the bump was punishment for insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
I felt the bump of the other car, but there was no damage to either vehicle
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in bangs
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bumps
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The overall agreement will result in small pay bumps for everybody covered by the agreement and annual pay hikes of about 4 % for the duration of the deal.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Renegade is a closer, and Pletcher has been open about how much grit his horse showed in the Derby, righting himself to run a game second after suffering a few bumps in the early traffic.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Dissolving pumice beads provides a textural grit that immediately sloughs away some of the bigger bumps while AHAs provide invisible decongestion and cell turnover.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 June 2026
The Oura Ring 4 already has a sleek design, with minimal sensor bumps.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 4 June 2026
Rick bumps into Danny, and the two quickly hit it off.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
One of the most interesting bumps was a coaching change with just eight regular-season games left.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The first, anchored by an ice sculpture, is flanked by freshly shucked oysters topped with buttery, orange uni on one side and a server doling out caviar bumps on the other.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 June 2026
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The department bumps the call to a higher-priority response (Priority 1) due to the potential for violence.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX will start at $99,995, excluding a mandatory $2,595 destination fee that bumps the price to $102,590.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
Epic Pass typically bumps its prices two to three times before sales end in early December.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
It is characterized by high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and rashes or bumps that appear seven to 14 days after exposure.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 June 2026
The overall agreement will result in small pay bumps for everybody covered by the agreement and annual pay hikes of about 4 % for the duration of the deal.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Renegade is a closer, and Pletcher has been open about how much grit his horse showed in the Derby, righting himself to run a game second after suffering a few bumps in the early traffic.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Dissolving pumice beads provides a textural grit that immediately sloughs away some of the bigger bumps while AHAs provide invisible decongestion and cell turnover.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 June 2026
The Oura Ring 4 already has a sleek design, with minimal sensor bumps.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 4 June 2026
Rick bumps into Danny, and the two quickly hit it off.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
One of the most interesting bumps was a coaching change with just eight regular-season games left.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The first, anchored by an ice sculpture, is flanked by freshly shucked oysters topped with buttery, orange uni on one side and a server doling out caviar bumps on the other.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 June 2026
Verb
Did join Kylian Mbappe and Ferenc Puskas as one of only three players to score a European Cup knockout-phase brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which bumps him up the list a bit.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The department bumps the call to a higher-priority response (Priority 1) due to the potential for violence.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX will start at $99,995, excluding a mandatory $2,595 destination fee that bumps the price to $102,590.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
Epic Pass typically bumps its prices two to three times before sales end in early December.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumps
Noun
-
The question becomes whether the Blues want to bring in a reinforcement now or let their recent high draft picks take their lumps.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
This fermentation process separates the milk into curds (the thicker lumps of cheese) and whey (the liquid portion).—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
The cautionary tales are bottomless, from Reading and Blackburn Rovers’ respective demotions in England two seasons ago to FC Girondins de Bordeaux and ASJ Soyaux in France, who this year were forced to collapse due to structural vulnerabilities.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Word of the demotions came early in the spring semester, but the cuts take effect on July 1.—
Katie Servas,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Concurrently, internal particle collisions try to force the plasma back into a balanced temperature state.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
-
Similar projects in states including Utah and Washington have significantly reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and encouraged biodiversity.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The allegations include racial harassment, discriminatory assignments, pay inequality, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, and unequal treatment in areas including discipline, promotions, firings, and constructive discharges.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2026
-
There’s no telling where the Red Sox would have been at this point if the firings hadn’t happened.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
If a showcase collides with work demands, negotiate better timing to ease the load, and make space for play.—
PubSubHub User,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2026
-
If your abiding artistic interest lies in the place where ambition collides with basicness, Murray Hill really must be the most compelling neighborhood in Manhattan.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumps. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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