clunking

verb

present participle of clunk
as in thudding

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunking
  1. thudding
  2. bumping
  3. bouncing
  4. skipping
  5. banging
  6. glancing
  7. knocking
  8. ricocheting
Verb
  • 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
  • But the data center surge could come to a sudden, thudding halt if those big companies do not soon see a return on their investment.
    — Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
Definition of thudding
Verb
  • Traveling down conveyor belts, bumping around on baggage carts and in cargo holds, suitcases quickly pick up scuffs that can be hard to remove.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 July 2026
  • And for everyone in the F1 paddock, there is now additional clarity on plans for the second half of the season heading into the summer break, while bumping the calendar back up to a provisional 23 races.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of bumping
Verb
  • Or spending a day bouncing in the waves on a Caribbean island or on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Shimmy’s talents shine brightest here, his cadence balancing the beat’s bouncing 808s against the sample’s breezy melodies.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of bouncing
Verb
  • Brook actually recommends skipping volumizing sprays—which can make dense hair feel bulky—and instead smoothing a lightweight oil like Biolage All-In-One Multi-Benefit Oil through the lengths for shine and frizz control.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This year, many travelers are skipping the country’s popular beach destinations in favor of places where their vacation budgets can stretch further.
    — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of skipping
Verb
  • The songs on Petal are mostly moody midtempo electro-chill, brooding rather than banging.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • What was the inspiration for banging the pots and pans around the house?
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of banging
Verb
  • Some of the men in the room could be seen glancing nervously at their dates.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The episode is like a hothouse of feeling with every line delivery, moment of eye contact, and glancing touch landing humid and heavy.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of glancing
Verb
  • Elarms-Orr didn’t think Kincaid was down and laid a sizable hit on the tight end, knocking him to the ground again.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Wahab said she’s been hard at work on the campaign trail hosting town hall discussions, knocking door-to-door and meeting constituents in the district.
    — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of knocking
Verb
  • 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
  • Mako Watanabe's Sushi Wars launches Nihonbashi into outer space—a fever dream of sushi motifs and holographic wallpaper, light ricocheting off foil and mirrors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clunking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunking. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All