heaves 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of heave
1
as in hoists
to lift with effort I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

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2
as in vomits
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster

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3
4
5
as in gasps
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty by the time he reached the top step of the tower, he was heaving

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heaves

2 of 2

noun

plural of heave

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 heaves
Verb
The Smith experience is always going to be a roller coaster, impressive feats of accuracy and arm talent mixed with desperation heaves and maddening turnovers. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 In another video, an emergency worker heaves a large stone aside while working to free people from the wreckage. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 25 June 2026 Moscow’s next move, as its skyline heaves with sooty smoke, must be to find a way to accept its weakness, and accommodate it, while not projecting anything other than strength. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 June 2026 And so, in the constant tug-of-war between tradition and innovation, the latest design heaves toward history, meeting the future’s infrastructure needs in comfortingly familiar costume. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026 When a degraded grassland returns to health, the ground heaves up, as if inhaling with relief. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 If the plane heaves up, the spoilers can press it back down. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Cover Exposed Roots Sometimes heavy ice and snow heaves newer plants out of the ground. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026 Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point. — Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heaves
Verb
  • The boy then hoists a mop above his head before laying it on the floor and mopping it.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Peter Zumthor’s design hoists a serpentine platform atop pavilions that read like stout, truncated legs, making the edifice almost creaturely in its architectural stance.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The climax of Lukas Moodysson’s A Hole in My Heart (2004), where Geko vomits into Tess’s open mouth?
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Back at the Apollyon, Nas vomits the same black, viscous substance again.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The win got Frosinone back on track after a 3-0 loss to Napoli last weekend and lifts it into fifth place in the Serie A table.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Victory lifts Shakhtar to 11th in the early league-phase table, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference and ahead of both Manchester City and Manchester United.
    — Simon Johnson, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber provides exceptional grip, though throws-up plenty of road noise.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where LPGA star Charley Hull throws her bikini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ring for the first time.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • No friends or strangers to share immediate laughs or gasps with, let alone notes afterward?
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • As the curtains pull back, she is revealed standing over the corpse with a bloodied trophy in her hands as the audience gasps.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His sister administered back thrusts and, eventually, an abdominal thrust formerly called the Heimlich maneuver.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Frances, in a David-versus-Goliath story, picks up a rock and hurls it at Goliath and hits.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hurls a deep ball toward Jefferson in double coverage, and McCardell stops the play.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That raises practical questions about safety and accessibility, along with concerns about jobs.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, deadly Russian attacks continue, as Ukraine raises concerns about cracks in support from the US.
    — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Heaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heaves. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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