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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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
Bryce Eldridge hit his 12th home run, an impressive opposite-field shot. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 José Ramírez hit into a groundout that brought Steven Kwan across in the seventh to draw the Guardians within 4-2, but the Tigers got two across in the bottom half to extend their lead. — CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
The Angels got an insurance run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single from Trout, who had another hit with a runner in scoring position to produce the Angels’ first run. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2026 Jonny DeLuca also had three hits as Tampa Bay (74-46) improved to 33-28 on the road. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 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
  • Northerly breezes will knock the humidity levels down a bit with dewpoint temps in the mid-60s.
    — Bill Kelly, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Moments later, Sikorski walked past the teen girl who was recording the incident and her phone was knocked to the ground.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of knock
Verb
  • To squeeze Cabrera into the rotation on Sunday, the Cubs bumped David Peterson to the bullpen for the time being and optioned Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The second is another factor limited by the iPhone… the MacBook Neo 2 is expected to bump memory up to 12 GB.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of bump
Verb
  • The American supermarket, with its endless array of products and innovations like the shopping cart and barcodes, has achieved an almost mythical status around the world.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • A bit geeky and has achieved great things in his career, but could probably walk down the street and not be recognised.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of achieve
Noun
  • Like in the Premier League, flick-ons and second-ball chaos is at the root of Coventry’s success in these scenarios.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The right technology, tools, strategy and perspective on what’s changing in the worlds of AI, influencer marketing, e-commerce and beyond are key to future success.
    — Vogue Business Team, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of success
Noun
  • The breach is the latest blow to a struggling small city that has faced years of severe budget deficits, pushing it to the brink of insolvency, as well as chronic understaffing in its police, fire and other municipal departments.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That would be a heavy blow for an economy growing at less than 1% a year.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • In response, Smith, 57, approached Rock on the Oscars stage and slapped him across the face.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.
    — Kent Jones, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of slap
Verb
  • Investigators determined that Skinner was impaired and failed to maintain his lane before crossing over the line and colliding with the CHP cruiser.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Supporters say soaring demand for electricity for AI data centers and EVs is colliding with California’s push for 100% clean power, leaving a stubborn gap in round-the-clock, low-carbon supply that should be met by nuclear.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of collide
Verb
  • In the last few years, Penn State’s singular focus – to win a national championship – clouded everything else.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The club was rebuilding after the 1958 Munich air disaster but won a first post-Munich trophy, the FA Cup, earlier that year.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 14 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 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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