hit 1 of 2

verb

ˈhit How to pronounce hit (audio)
Definition of hitnext
1
as in to knock
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner a good carpenter hits a nail just two or three times to drive it in

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2
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something when she fell on the ice, she hit hard and badly bruised her elbow

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to achieve
to obtain (as a goal) through effort the rock band hit "the big time" with their third album

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hit

2 of 2

noun

1
as in success
a person or thing that is successful the new babysitter turned out to be a hit with the kids

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument the quarterback can't take too many more hits like that and escape permanent injury

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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 hit
Verb
As thousands of professors at in the University of California system say the students entering their classrooms are increasingly under-prepared for university-level math, the university’s timely graduation rates just hit all-time highs. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026 Average daily rates in Miami hit $302 for both game nights and eves, according to AirDNA. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Noun
The game-winning hit in the 2014 American League Wild Card Game came off his bat stretched well wide of the strike zone. — Sam McDowell July 22, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026 Apple also picked up Legendary’s French-Japanese series Drops of God and is a co-producer on big hits like Tehran. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit
  1. knock
  2. bump
  3. achieve
  4. success
  5. blow
  6. slap
  7. collide
  8. win
Verb
  • The person knocked on the door and was let in by Chavez, and the video recording device was disconnected about 10 minutes later, investigators have said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • Thekla then strikes Nightingale with the microphone and attempts to hit her with the championship belt, but Nightingale knocks her away.
    — Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • Cope tried to make the save, but Claudio released the hold and bumped Cage to the outside.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 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 bump
Verb
  • Sometimes a production design choice can achieve what a close-up or a line of dialogue cannot.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 24 July 2026
  • Thus, in this novel, the Vanstone sisters are constantly prevented from achieving their ultimate goals of domesticity, through no faults of their own.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of achieve
Noun
  • Part of Mahle’s success against the Brewers was due to an uptick in velocity with his four-seam fastball.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • Yet many young Indians say that national success has not translated into opportunities for them.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of success
Noun
  • San Francisco has already seen right-hander Hayden Birdsong undergo Tommy John surgery earlier this year, and losing McDonald for an extended period of time would be another brutal blow for the pitching staff.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • Under Ozel’s leadership, the CHP had delivered a significant blow to Erdogan’s party in the 2024 municipal elections.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Brussels, however, was less charitable with EU regulators slapping a fine of 890 million euros ($1 billion) on Google, its first penalty under the Digital Markets Act, for favoring its own services.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 July 2026
  • Since the fire, Southern California’s Air Quality Management District has slapped Lineage with multiple violations tied to the warehouse.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Birds especially can collide with turbine blades, especially when turbines are in the middle of key habitats or migration corridors.
    — Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • The Ukraine and Iran wars collided over the weekend, as Kyiv attacked an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of collide
Verb
  • Seoul — The AI gold rush is minting new fortunes, but the ex-wife of one of South Korea’s biggest tech titans has failed to win a greater share of his wealth as his company’s stock price has soared.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • In a career that ended in 2023, Harvick won 60 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 2007 Daytona 500, three wins in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2003, 2019, and 2020, and the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
    — Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of win

Phrases Containing hit

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histrionics
hit
hit-and-miss
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Cite this Entry

“Hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hit

Nglish: Translation of hit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hit

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