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hit

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noun

hit (on or upon)

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verb (2)

hit (up)

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verb (3)

hit (upon)

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verb (4)

as in to encounter
to come upon unexpectedly or by chance the popular belief that Sir Isaac Newton hit upon his understanding of gravity at the sight of an apple falling from a tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Eastern Iowa was hit particularly hard by damaging winds and flash flooding. Dan Peck, ABC News, 12 July 2025 The shooter also hit and killed Corey Comperatore, a rally attendee, and injured two others. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
Noun
Noah Schultz, a left-hander in the Chicago White Sox’s organization, gave up four hits and four runs, including the line-drive home run by De Paula that traveled 416 feet to right-center. Charles Odum, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025 This is the ‘podium meal’ — a quick hit for the rider to consume during media duties. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit
Noun
  • The Frozen Zoo has notched some reproductive breakthroughs over the years, including in 2023 when researchers were able to successfully freeze sunflower sea star sperm, thaw it and fertilize eggs that resulted in larvae developing with a high rate of success.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2025
  • Arguably the most important quantitative element would be how many surgeries the doctor performed and the success rate.
    R.J. Shook, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Pang’s departure is a blow to Apple’s AI ambitions and comes amid internal scrutiny of its AI strategy, which has so far failed to match the capabilities fielded by rival tech companies, leaving Apple dependent on third-party AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 July 2025
  • The news was not only a blow to Lilly but also a surprise to millions using Zepbound on Caremark plans, who are now questioning how to move forward.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • The film also had the best Thursday previews year-to-date at $22.5 million, which is ahead of Matt Reeves’ The Batman ($21.6 million in previews) and the blockbuster hit Barbie ($22.3 million).
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • For those still celebrating the iconic blockbuster's 50th anniversary, this documentary is essential viewing.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • So this isn’t a slap at the spending aspect of CUT.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • So the defense went out of its way to present witnesses who could corroborate Ventura Fine’s striking allegations of abuse. Of the slaps, punches and most of all the kicks delivered to the bodies of young women.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • Early on, Joe, with his crewcut and serious eyebrows, answers a knock on the front door, only to meet a bank official who has come to foreclose on the house.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 July 2025
  • As is often the case lately, the big knock came from Trevor Story.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 6 July 2025
Noun
  • Above her, the sweeping halo scoreboard glowed, flashing beneath the thump of blasting pop anthems.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
  • On the footage, the sound is a muffled thump, and neither Rush nor Foss seemed alarmed.
    Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • Lewis enters Saturday night with a 2-1 record over his last three fights, most recently having defeated Rodrigo Nascimento via TKO (punches).
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • After a combined 871 punches landed in their first two fights, just 140 total shots landed between the women in the trilogy bout.
    Mark Puleo, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.
    Louis Balsamo, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025
  • Her feet dangle, then land with a thud on the delicate rug hugging the side of her bed.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025

Cite this Entry

“Hit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hit. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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