as in colliding
to come into usually forceful contact with something
hail was noisily impinging upon the car's exterior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 impinging
In principle, besides fluctuating stars transients can be associated with other things, too, such as extreme space weather events impinging on the upper atmosphere, sunlight glinting off reflective objects near Earth, as well as flaws in the telescope or the imaging process.
—
Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
Workers aren’t necessarily worried about AI impinging on their jobs – a large majority, 80%, view AI technologies, including gen AI, as more of an opportunity than a threat.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Democrats are apoplectic, accusing Trump of impinging on the Fed’s independence.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 26 Aug. 2025
Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
Workers aren’t necessarily worried about AI impinging on their jobs – a large majority, 80%, view AI technologies, including gen AI, as more of an opportunity than a threat.
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Democrats are apoplectic, accusing Trump of impinging on the Fed’s independence.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impinging
Verb
-
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The demand for electricians is colliding with a moment of deep uncertainty for young workers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The vibe is flirty but chic—ready for low lighting, a wine list, and knees bumping beneath the table.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
3 Mar. 2026
-
On the walk back, Lilian noticed a girl, a head taller than Jude, keeping to his side, sometimes bumping into him.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Drivers are sending last-minute emails, riding each other’s bumpers, going too fast or too slow, slamming on their brakes, not letting each other merge.—
Rose Evans
Updated March 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Then, just as abruptly, the plane lurched up, slamming everyone back to the ground.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mosaku said, banging the counter.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Everyone’s hitting, banging bodies.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Costco recommends wrapping it in a towel and smashing it into pieces with a hammer.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Vulture hosted a special screening of the pilot with ABC on March 3, and Speedman answered all of our questions about smashing props and doing his own stunts.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Scott Weiler, 52, lost control of the bike while riding west on South Coast Highway just before noon, sending it crashing into a light pole, the county agency reported.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
-
This was the end-credits scene for Elio to tease Hoppers as the next Pixar film, but the brief clip resonated so loudly and turned lil' Tom into, essentially, the mascot for crashing out.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Burbank police arrested a 32-year-old man for a midday crime spree that included allegedly ramming vehicles and assaulting officers on Monday.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
French officials promised the Louvre would introduce additional security measures, including anti-intrusion devices and anti-vehicle ramming barriers on nearby public roads, in the wake of the heist.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Canadarm was used for spacewalking, several Hubble Space Telescope missions and some impromptu maneuvers such as knocking an ice plug off a frozen shuttle drain line, according to NASA.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Return to New York when Broadway comes knocking.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impinging. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
