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
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Recent Examples of hitting
Shannon scored 29 points in the second half, hitting five of seven 3-point shots.
—
CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said Pages has become one of the team’s most regular users of the Trajekt machine – and Skenes is a frequent visitor.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Gage entered for starter Tyler Mahle in the top of the sixth with one on and two out, tasked with facing the left-handed hitting Brandon Marsh.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Completing a nearly 600,000-mile journey since launching from Kennedy Space Center on April 1 on a 10-day lunar fly-by mission, the quartet will be coming in fast and hot, hitting close to 24,000 mph and enduring temperatures close to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
With Chicago office buildings still at 57% of pre-pandemic occupancy levels in March, according to the latest report by Kastle Systems, Fooda is growing despite a smaller pool of potential downtown foragers hitting their respective lobbies during lunchtime.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Mementos, memorabilia and treasures from Weintraub’s unique life will soon be hitting the auction block courtesy of Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid the storylines at play, the series is meeting of elite Aggies hitting versus elite Longhorns pitching.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
After hitting scan on the tablet, or Histopad, a circle appeared.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said Pages has become one of the team’s most regular users of the Trajekt machine – and Skenes is a frequent visitor.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026
Gage entered for starter Tyler Mahle in the top of the sixth with one on and two out, tasked with facing the left-handed hitting Brandon Marsh.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Completing a nearly 600,000-mile journey since launching from Kennedy Space Center on April 1 on a 10-day lunar fly-by mission, the quartet will be coming in fast and hot, hitting close to 24,000 mph and enduring temperatures close to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
With Chicago office buildings still at 57% of pre-pandemic occupancy levels in March, according to the latest report by Kastle Systems, Fooda is growing despite a smaller pool of potential downtown foragers hitting their respective lobbies during lunchtime.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Mementos, memorabilia and treasures from Weintraub’s unique life will soon be hitting the auction block courtesy of Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
Amid the storylines at play, the series is meeting of elite Aggies hitting versus elite Longhorns pitching.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
After hitting scan on the tablet, or Histopad, a circle appeared.
—Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hitting
Verb
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Those of us not actually knocking hung back in the stairwell; even so, some residents were hesitant to engage.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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In the fall, residents learn about the process through public service announcements, local media, door-knocking outreach or word of mouth.—
Celina Su,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Craft Sake Shoten is an intimate, unpretentious place to deepen your sake knowledge while bumping shoulders with incredibly friendly locals.—
Kim Kay,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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Slotkin shies away from answer on 2028 Visiting Iowa used to hold more obvious significance for Democrats before the party shook up the early presidential nominating calendar last cycle, bumping Iowa from its place as the first state to weigh in on the nominations.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Super Mario Galaxy is achieving a number other milestones, including delivering the year’s biggest three-day opening of the year so far, a record held briefly by sleeper hit Project Hail Mary.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2026
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Because convection heat is more intense, lowering the temperature to 375°F instead of 400°F may help prevent over-browning while still achieving crisp skins and tender centers.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During that time, the moon will appear mostly dark, which will give the astronauts a chance to look for flashes of light from rocky objects smacking into the moon or to observe planets and other celestial bodies.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
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Other incidents over the years have seen fans grab at Nikki Bella or actually smacking Alex Bliss on the backside as Nia Jax was carrying her over her shoulder from a previous segment.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Swinyard said Mortensen allegedly drove away with Paul against her wishes, before the two got into an altercation that included Mortensen grabbing her head and slamming it into the dashboard, then hitting her knee and elbow with his fist.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
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Video shows a car striking a large trash bin before slamming into the building.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition, Ken is an Emmy-award winning broadcaster for Fox Sports’ MLB telecasts.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Heat is just one loss behind the Hornets and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Charlotte after winning the regular-season series 3-1.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means going beyond slapping a flag on packaging in November.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
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Mirković took a straight line toward Wagler, slapping his hand and then bringing him in for a long hug — two freshmen raised 5,000 miles apart who came together to help the Illini reach their first Final Four since 2005.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now those promises are colliding with fiscal constraints, coalition politics, and the realities of governing.—
Darius Khalil Gordon,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Now, a new study finally exposes what’s going on inside that fleeting moment, offering a rare glimpse of quantum theory colliding with reality—and a path toward making quantum technologies actually work outside the lab.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hitting. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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