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
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
—
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers are one of the better teams in baseball at hitting changeups from lefties like Sánchez.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
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, 4 Oct. 2025
Finding free parking in Las Vegas feels like hitting the jackpot.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
In an interview with The Star, following his arrest, Abarca denied hitting his wife during an argument in front of his father’s house.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025
Neither Jeremy Payne nor Trent Battle could get into a rhythm as the Sun Devils clogged running lanes, making each of the running backs less decisive when hitting a hole.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Vaquer secured the pinfall after hitting a spiral tap.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Already a star before hitting the ballroom, she's since written a memoir and taken on roles on Red Oaks (2014–2017), Grey's Anatomy (2019), and the Oscar-winning A Real Pain (2024).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers are one of the better teams in baseball at hitting changeups from lefties like Sánchez.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
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, 4 Oct. 2025
Finding free parking in Las Vegas feels like hitting the jackpot.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
In an interview with The Star, following his arrest, Abarca denied hitting his wife during an argument in front of his father’s house.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2025
Neither Jeremy Payne nor Trent Battle could get into a rhythm as the Sun Devils clogged running lanes, making each of the running backs less decisive when hitting a hole.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Vaquer secured the pinfall after hitting a spiral tap.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Already a star before hitting the ballroom, she's since written a memoir and taken on roles on Red Oaks (2014–2017), Grey's Anatomy (2019), and the Oscar-winning A Real Pain (2024).
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hitting
Verb
-
Omarion Hampton injured his ankle, knocking him out of the game.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Some rope and stanchion kept them from knock, knocking on the wood.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some other popular institutions also have extended hours on certain days year-round, which allows visitors to enjoy world-class artworks without bumping elbows with others.—
Blane Bachelor,
AFAR Media,
1 Oct. 2025
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This boundary-breaking dance drama follows Baby (Jennifer Grey) and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) in a wrong-side-of-the-tracks romantic entanglement that all starts with a rousing night of bumping and grinding.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cosmedica’s advantage is its process aimed at achieving a soft, age-appropriate, and natural-looking hairline that blends into everyday life.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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As a means of achieving political change, the boycott is ill-conceived, targeting a vital source of artistic dissent rather than policy makers.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Really, there’s only one character onstage who commands an audience’s attention, and that’s Hines’ gum-smacking sister-in-law, who turns from antagonist to supporter.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
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Cal Raleigh tied Mickey Mantle for most home runs in one season for a switch hitter after smacking his 54th dinger yesterday.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kirk followed Guerrero the next inning, slamming the first of his two homers over the outfield wall.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Nonprofit watchdog group Human Rights Watch and fellow comedians like David Cross and Marc Maron, however, are saying otherwise, accusing the festival of deflecting from the country's human rights violations and slamming their peers for their involvement.—
Jessica Wang,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat is slated to join the Puerto Rican rapper as the music guest.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By slapping a $100,000 filing fee on H=1B visas, the White House has declared the days of cheap labor pipelines and visa abuse officially over.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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On the knee-to-knee collision between each team’s superstar, Collier badly rolled her left ankle and was lying on the floor and slapping the court with her hand as Thomas made her drive.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The other version, known as the momentum amplituhedron, was instead defined directly in terms of the momenta of colliding particles.—
Kevin Hartnett,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Oct. 2025
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In bodycam footage provided by Ory, the gold truck's driver said the woman driving the car behind him caused the wreck after pulling into the other lane to avoid colliding with the back of the truck.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hitting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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