1
as in hoisting
to lift with effort
I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heaving
Then the Ducks started launching citrus fruit left and right, with Benson heaving one toward the stands, trying to reach his little brothers.
—
Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 Jan. 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
On the final play of the first half of Sunday's matchup, Mayfield went down in a significant amount of pain after heaving a Hail Mary pass towards the end zone.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Roses planted too late in fall risk heaving from freeze–thaw cycles or suffering root injury before dormancy.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
But drawing an over-aggressive, poor-technique personal foul on a 60-yard attempt for a guy trying a field goal 12 yards longer than any attempt in his career is akin to fouling a basketball player heaving a three-quarters court shot at the buzzer while trailing by two.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Since 2023, the actor has regularly been photographed at the Studio City Farmers Market, arms—and Bode tote—heaving with tulips, pincushions, sunflowers, and sea lavender.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 Jan. 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
On the final play of the first half of Sunday's matchup, Mayfield went down in a significant amount of pain after heaving a Hail Mary pass towards the end zone.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Roses planted too late in fall risk heaving from freeze–thaw cycles or suffering root injury before dormancy.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
But drawing an over-aggressive, poor-technique personal foul on a 60-yard attempt for a guy trying a field goal 12 yards longer than any attempt in his career is akin to fouling a basketball player heaving a three-quarters court shot at the buzzer while trailing by two.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2025
Since 2023, the actor has regularly been photographed at the Studio City Farmers Market, arms—and Bode tote—heaving with tulips, pincushions, sunflowers, and sea lavender.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heaving
Verb
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In the cavernous, warehouse-like space, the boys turn into physical exhibitionists, showing off for one another by hoisting heavy chunks of scrap metal and flinging them across the ruin.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
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Those Rams are also the only team to go from four wins one season to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy the next.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In clinical trials, Nereus helped up to 90 percent of people prone to motion sickness avoid vomiting while riding on a boat.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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The predominant symptoms experienced by the ill passengers and crew members were vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In 2024, in first (partial) year in his new no-heavy-lifting sinecure, Lowy pocketed $351,050.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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With the shot clock running down, Lopez swung the ball back to the other side, with Sanders waiting to retrieve it after lifting from the corner.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After throwing for just 241 total yards in wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State to start Miami’s postseason journey, Beck completed 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and had the game-clinching rushing touchdown.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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This happened after a number of protesters began throwing snowballs at federal vehicles on the scene.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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Her dog panting, unquestioning, always thrilled to see her.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Each of these impact sites stands testament to the violence of its creation — cataclysmic collisions that carved vast basins in the lunar surface, while hurling debris miles across the face of Earth's natural satellite.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Immigration authorities appear to be hurling smoke bombs at protesters.—
Kyla Guilfoil,
NBC news,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Along with her late husband, the pair founded VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit dedicated to raising social awareness and aiding community causes in Boston, federal prosecutors said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden proposed raising the corporate tax rate.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Soon after, federal agents began tossing tear gas toward the crowd and police, who were not wearing protective gear, video shows.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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For more than 60 years (approximately 1906 to 1967), three beaches in Fort Bragg were used as dump sites, with people tossing household goods, glass, and more into the sea without much thought about the environmental consequences.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heaving. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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