1
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
Relevance
2
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
3
as in achieving
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
the rock band hit "the big time" with their third album
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hitting
Six Longhorns scored in the first quarter, which ended with Georgia native Bryanna Preston hitting a pull-up jumper at the buzzer.
—
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s hitting, banging bodies.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
LaBeouf, who waited alone in the courtroom wearing a fleece jacket and jeans tucked into cowboy boots, was also admonished by the judge for allegedly yelling homophobic slurs while hitting multiple people near the French Quarter.
—Jack Brook, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
There's still a lot of red tape that gets in the way of shovels hitting dirt.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Aztecs then kept the Broncos at bay by hitting seven free throws down the stretch.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Coulibaly was allegedly recorded hitting a cop in the face with a snowball during the Monday afternoon incident near the park’s comfort stations.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
When word of this began hitting social media, however, some were dismayed by the prospect of exhibitors embracing AI content, with many singling out AMC Theatres for criticism.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s hitting, banging bodies.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
LaBeouf, who waited alone in the courtroom wearing a fleece jacket and jeans tucked into cowboy boots, was also admonished by the judge for allegedly yelling homophobic slurs while hitting multiple people near the French Quarter.
—Jack Brook, ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
There's still a lot of red tape that gets in the way of shovels hitting dirt.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Aztecs then kept the Broncos at bay by hitting seven free throws down the stretch.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Coulibaly was allegedly recorded hitting a cop in the face with a snowball during the Monday afternoon incident near the park’s comfort stations.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
When word of this began hitting social media, however, some were dismayed by the prospect of exhibitors embracing AI content, with many singling out AMC Theatres for criticism.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hitting
Verb
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During the heated back and forth, the other man kicked the victim in the upper body twice, knocking him onto the tracks, witnesses told police.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
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One of them punched him in the face, knocking some of his teeth out.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Loftis adds that some story artists contributed clever ideas as well, including ensuring that every area had a snake accessible ramp so characters could slide up without bumping over stairs.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
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The employees at the Memphis facility are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement and do not have bumping rights.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With this route, a debt relief expert will negotiate with creditors on your behalf, often achieving comparable or even better reductions than taking the DIY approach.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
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The different procedures have their own risks and benefits, but generally speaking, people with diabetes who receive weight loss surgery lose about 20 percent of their body mass and have significant blood sugar improvements, often achieving lasting diabetes remission.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas extorted him for the money using physical violence – knocking out his teeth, injured his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team wasn't supposed to be landing at Miami International Airport, but because of the historic blizzard that was slamming the Northeast, the flight from Italy arrived in the Sunshine State.—
Marybel Rodriguez,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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At the University of South Dakota, art professor Michael Hook was fired for slamming Kirk in the wake of his assassination.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For San Diego State, winning the Mountain West women’s swimming and diving championship last week was a perfect way to say farewell to the conference.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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For a kid from Riverside, if that game-winning layup was his dream shot, his performance against the rival Trojans was his dream night.—
Aaron Heisen,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ultimately, in Europe, giving the green light will be up to the EU’s antitrust chief, Teresa Ribeira, who has been slapping hefty fines lately on Google and Elon Musk’s X for breaching European Union rules.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
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Vacuum The Cushions For dusty sofas, start by taking the cushions outside and slapping them to release debris and dust.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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From Wale to Snoop Dogg, the worlds of wrestling and hip-hop have been colliding quite frequently.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
24 Feb. 2026
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Despite a pathological fear of climbing after a tragic accident, Aaron sets off to rescue sister Seren in stunning Snowdonia, colliding with a far-right faction plotting a violent outrage in the local mountains.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hitting. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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