jounce 1 of 2

noun

Definition of jouncenext
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things we felt a definite jounce every time the car hit a pothole

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jounce

2 of 2

verb

ˈjau̇n(t)s How to pronounce jounce (audio)
1
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements a rickety cart jouncing as it was being pulled over the cobblestoned streets

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2
as in to bob
to make short up-and-down movements her head jounced as the horse began to gallop

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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 jounce
Noun
Additional front and rear jounce dampers help absorb the load after landing sweet jumps, while new braces on the trailer hitch help increase the tow rating to 4500 pounds. — Carlos Lago, Car and Driver, 24 Jan. 2022
Verb
Our lunch, a thermos of hot coffee, binoculars, a spotting scope, and two cameras jounced on the seat between us. — Robert Merchant, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2025 Tailbone pain sometimes can arise after sitting on a hard surface for a long time, or sitting on an ill-fitting or jouncing seat. — Mayo Clinic, chicagotribune.com, 19 Aug. 2019 The frame shape and temple design must harmonize with your helmet lest the glasses jounce around or, worse, rub your skull wrong. — Aaron Gulley, Outside Online, 13 June 2018 This band has a rare instrumentation — tenor saxophone, tuba, two drummers — and a relentless, jouncing sound anchored in rhythms of the Caribbean. — Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2018 Early mornings and midafternoons at Ranthambore see a restricted number of open-air vehicles shuttling tourists into the park to jounce along five dusty trail routes, each stretching a few miles. — Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 11 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jounce
  1. collision
  2. shake
  3. bob
  4. jolt
  5. jerk
  6. pump
  7. thump
  8. shudder
Noun
  • Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the boy succumbed to injuries sustained in the collisions.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Apply the brakes if a collision is unavoidable to lessen the force of the crash.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of collision
Verb
  • Soon after, a warden shook Guardado and shouted his name, but got no response and a medic then pronounced him dead.
    — KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ueno Bank’s failure has locked nearly half the country’s 6 million people out of their savings, shaking a country long viewed as one of South America’s more stable economies.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Our little skiff, known around here as an alijo, is bobbing like a toy as our captain gently tugs on a few lines descending into the water.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Chiefs had no answer for Smith-Njigba, who bobbed and weaved his way through the defense for nine catches, 150 yards and a touchdown.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of bob
Noun
  • But there’s something bracingly logical about injecting the synthetic jolt of electronic dance music into a hospital environment, where vulnerable bodies are sustained by machines.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Still, not a bad move for the home of Hollywood, that needs a jolt to get back in the ring.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of jolt
Verb
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drivers should never swerve or jerk the steering wheel, the state patrol said.
    — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Doctors inserted a breathing tube then began pressing down on her chest with two fingers to manually pump blood through her body.
    — Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Most of why Illinois’ tax burden is so onerous is due to woefully underfunded pensions and the need to pump more cash into those retirement plans each year to ensure the state and localities meet their obligations to retirees.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of pump
Noun
  • But the knock on them has been the lack of thump in their lineup.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The brutalist thump of drummer Moe Tucker renders the showmen in Led Zeppelin and the Who irrelevant.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of thump
Verb
  • Anticipation shudders throughout Burning Song despite its elegiac core.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • For those who might shudder at the thought of eating raw hardy greens like collards or kale, this vibrant side inspired by the French bistro classic leeks vinaigrette is the answer.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of shudder

Browse Nearby Words

jottings
jounce
jounced
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Cite this Entry

“Jounce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jounce. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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