1
as in hoisting
to lift with effort
I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vomiting
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth
heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
heaved the bucket from the bottom of the well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in throwing
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
heaved the brick over the fence
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in panting
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heaving
His groundstrokes rip through the court, but the power all comes from timing and the kinetic chain, rather than muscling or heaving the ball.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
In photo after photo, video after video, North Shore residents are painted in mud, scraping it off driveways, sweeping it out of kitchens and heaving it into trucks along with their household debris.
—Thomas Heaton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
As the fugitive car careered along the narrow road, the passenger started heaving out hindquarters of venison.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The feel of heaving the Mini’s wheel through tight corners, occasionally fighting kickback from the wide tires, gives way to a newfound finesse.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
The Iranian announcer was heaving.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Every gesture, breath, line delivery is heaving with the labor of just trying to get through one day to the next.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Some plants with very shallow roots, such as heuchera, astilbe, gaillardia, and strawberry, can be damaged by heaving or uplift of soils caused by freeze-thaw cycles.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025
Set in 1970 suburban Massachusetts, Reichardt's take on the heist genre saw O'Connor laboriously heaving art through a hay barn to comedic effect.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
In photo after photo, video after video, North Shore residents are painted in mud, scraping it off driveways, sweeping it out of kitchens and heaving it into trucks along with their household debris.
—Thomas Heaton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
As the fugitive car careered along the narrow road, the passenger started heaving out hindquarters of venison.
—Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
The feel of heaving the Mini’s wheel through tight corners, occasionally fighting kickback from the wide tires, gives way to a newfound finesse.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
The Iranian announcer was heaving.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Every gesture, breath, line delivery is heaving with the labor of just trying to get through one day to the next.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Some plants with very shallow roots, such as heuchera, astilbe, gaillardia, and strawberry, can be damaged by heaving or uplift of soils caused by freeze-thaw cycles.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2025
Set in 1970 suburban Massachusetts, Reichardt's take on the heist genre saw O'Connor laboriously heaving art through a hay barn to comedic effect.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heaving
Verb
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The statue depicts a man in a suit hoisting a large flag.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
2 May 2026
-
Joel Edmundson scored and Anton Forsberg stopped 27 shots for the Kings, whose fifth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs ended with their eighth consecutive postseason defeat over the past two years and their seventh straight first-round exit since hoisting the Cup 12 years ago.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Coco Gauff has advanced to the fourth round of the Madrid Open despite falling ill and vomiting on court.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
If your dog is vomiting continuously, take your pet to the vet as soon as possible, The Bee reported.—
Stephanie Zappelli,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Celtics started 1-for-7 from the field and fell behind 11-3 before Mazzulla made his first change, lifting Harper and sending in Payton Pritchard.—
Zack Cox,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
-
The brand says the V-design on the back of these wide-leg pants creates a butt-lifting effect.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Rocker was done after two innings, allowing five runs on six hits and throwing 43 pitches in his shortest outing of 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The window next to my desk overlooks the gym’s large communal exercise room, and throughout the day, I am taunted by the sight of gyrating bodies panting through a Zumba class or a kettlebell set.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
For one, there’s Jean-Michel Basquiat’s monumental panting Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown), from 1983, set for Sotheby’s contemporary art sale on May 14, estimated at $45 million.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The protest damaged a Communist Party office, with some protesters throwing rocks at the building and hurling furniture into a bonfire amid chants of freedom.—
Jorge Carrasco,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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But the singer has often said that his time in the group was an education in both music and prejudice, with audiences cheering on the band during performances, and then hurling punches and racial epithets after their shows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Since the event’s conception in 2013, more than 60,000 donors have helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties raising more than $117 million, according to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
Clark’s legal team has also highlighted the role of the lead detective in the case, who was later convicted in an unrelated matter involving perjury and evidence tampering, further raising questions about the original investigation.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Fulton finished the game, ultimately tossing four innings and giving up two runs in Miami’s 7-4 loss to the Orioles — the Marlins’ fourth consecutive defeat that has them 1-5 so far on this 10-game homestand.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
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As the beat dropped, the friends jumped into action — tossing pink flower petals, dancing and laughing before embracing at a glam station.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heaving. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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