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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
Singapore, a major Asian financial hub, has taken a hit to its reputation after several high-profile recent cases dented trust in the emerging crypto sector. Afp, Fortune, 30 June 2025 The video was a hit and gave his channel a significant boost. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hit
Noun
  • Superman became an enormous success, launching the superhero genre and a plethora of TV shows, movies, cartoons and merchandise.
    Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 10 July 2025
  • Editor’s note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports.
    Elise Devlin, New York Times, 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
  • In a quiet, devastating moment, Dream kills his son with a single blow.
    Aya Al-Hakim, People.com, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • For those still celebrating the iconic blockbuster's 50th anniversary, this documentary is essential viewing.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 July 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Those embarrassing losses with ownership sitting in the expensive seats were a big-time slap in the face to the decision makers.
    James Mirtle, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • The number of girl slaps exchanged between the governor and Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez over the state budget impasse.
    Pat Beall, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • The rest of the speaker is covered in a layer of silicone material that feels soft to the touch and should be sufficiently durable to resist knocks.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
  • Early Thursday morning, Medina was rattled by several loud knocks on the front door.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 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
  • This recipe gives a tropical punch to the buttery classic.
    Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 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 16 Jul. 2025.

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