HITTING Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

hitting

verb

present participle of hit

as in knocking

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in bumping

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in achieving

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

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 hitting The brother will provoke him by hitting him first and saying cruel things, typically about me. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 Shortly after the conversation began, Soho pulled out a handgun and shot at the officers, hitting two of them, according to the GBI. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 Extreme rainfall was hitting across Arizona and the Four Corners region that includes New Mexico, Utah and Colorado on Sunday. — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 High temperatures in the beginning of the week will be in the low 80s and rise up to the mid-80s toward the end of the week with some interior areas hitting close to 90. — Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026 In the meantime, hitting corruption lets the opposition party duck the harder tasks of producing a detailed legislative agenda. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026 Not hitting a vehicle is great, but even just not hitting it as hard is good enough to save lives. — New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026 Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026 Brown was accused of twice hitting the victim with a tequila bottle to his head while Akinlolu punched him. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hitting

Verb

Austin has spent her evenings the last few weeks knocking on voters’ doors, arguing for the cause.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
In June, before the summer rains return, people gather saguaro fruit, knocking it from towering cacti with a kuipad, a long pole made of saguaro ribs, then dry the protein-rich seeds and make jam from the fruit.

— Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of knocking

Verb

Brady also took issue with a call against Detroit, suggesting Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes didn't deserve an unnecessary roughness flag for bumping running back MarShawn Lloyd after a pass sailed over Lloyd's head.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
The Goyard Saint Louis entered the top 10 ranking at number seven, bumping the Celine Ava off the list entirely, according to the report.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bumping

Verb

Tantalizing opportunities may be found in copper-oxide ceramics known as cuprates, but achieving them requires first understanding how the superconducting phenomenon emerges at relatively warm temperatures.

— Sven Badoux, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Neither capability has been demonstrated in this experiment, and achieving them would require further research.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of achieving

Verb

But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of smacking

Verb

The familyâs legal team filed complaints targeting Iranian officials who bankrolled Hamas, slamming the ICC for double standards and demanding arrest warrants for the regime bosses backing the atrocity.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Alex Alvarado’s political action committee is behind the texts slamming Rodriguez in an apparent effort to help Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier stay in office.

— Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slamming

Verb

Attendees were enthusiastic about Talarico’s prospects and the possibility of a Democrat winning statewide in Texas.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Simpson, 60, is a former state Senate president who served in the upper chamber for 10 years before winning the agriculture commissioner position in 2022.

— Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of winning

Verb

Jamie Love is swaying, slapping a hand against her thigh to keep time, and mouthing along to the music that plays from a set of portable speakers.

— Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Teens say a traffic altercation with former Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant escalated in Southlake, where video shows Bryant slapping a phone out of a teen's hand.

— Erin Jones, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of slapping

Verb

Security video showed a black Range Rover belonging to a company Romero now works for as a chauffeur nearly colliding with Irvine's vehicle, according to the affidavit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Jourdan Bates, a 29-year-old from Caldwell, was injured after colliding with a median while driving west on Interstate 84 near South Maple Grove Road in Boise, according to the Ada County Coroner’s Office.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 26 Oct. 2026