CLUNKING Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

clunking

verb

present participle of clunk

as in thudding

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunking

Verb

The players actually are doing a pretty good job of thudding each other without crossing the line.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Running backs earn trust not just through their burst past thudding defenders in no-tackle practices, but especially through their pass-protection ability and receiver capabilities.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 24 July 2026

Definition of thudding

Verb

Simply bumping the protein number on a label doesn’t produce those outcomes on its own.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
This clamshell pack from Mystery Ranch has durable materials, solid stitching, and reinforced seams that help keep out dust from bumping around in a Land Cruiser.

— Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of bumping

Verb

As the judges give him positive feedback, our Danni is very excited, clapping for him and bouncing up and down like a bobblehead going down a cobblestoned street.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
The rising global genre, known for its catchy harmonies and bouncing performance style, inspired the sisters to bring pop elements to their recording sessions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of bouncing

Verb

PetMD recommends skipping the fancy labels and instead choosing shampoos that are pH-balanced for dogs and targeted to actual skin and coat needs like dryness, shedding or itching.

— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Going out with friends meant skipping drinks and potentially bringing a salad along.

— Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of skipping

Verb

Sox right fielder Tristan Peters suffered a bruised shoulder/rib while banging into the outfield wall on Kevin McGonigle’s three-run triple in the fifth inning.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
In 2015, Ben Hiscox died after falling backwards and banging his head on the clubhouse wall during an amateur game at Stoke Gifford, near Bristol.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of banging

Verb

Then came a quieter reaction—people shifting in their seats, glancing at one another, going still in a way that had nothing to do with boredom.

— Julian De Freitas, Harvard Business Review, 24 Sep. 2026
Unfortunately, the full document was nigh-indecipherable—LLMs tend to explain their proofs in unhelpful ways, spending inordinate time on minor details while glancing past important steps.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of glancing

Verb

According to court documents, a woman told police that Pace, who was her child’s father, was inside her residence when her boyfriend, Adams, arrived and began knocking loudly on the door.

— Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Next, the door becomes his battering ram, knocking three enemies down to the landing below him.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of knocking

Verb

Her thoughts, ideas, and connections, are ricocheting and forming spectacular creations that are the epitome of what a brain at its most powerful can achieve.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
As the loops build, the lines glance off one another, ricocheting back and forth—an on-the-nose but effective arrangement for a song about being in a holding pattern.

— Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of ricocheting

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.

Browse Nearby Words

clunkers

clunking

clunks

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“Clunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunking. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of clunking

verb

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