as in gasping
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty
the dog was panting heavily after his breakneck run across the field
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of panting
The window next to my desk overlooks the gym’s large communal exercise room, and throughout the day, I am taunted by the sight of gyrating bodies panting through a Zumba class or a kettlebell set.
—
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
For one, there’s Jean-Michel Basquiat’s monumental panting Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown), from 1983, set for Sotheby’s contemporary art sale on May 14, estimated at $45 million.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Potential symptoms include rapid breathing, vomiting, panting and a high heart rate.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Gus was awake and panting at his feet.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Canines might be stressed and anxious, which can be shown through panting, whining, barking, pacing or fidgeting.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
For one, there’s Jean-Michel Basquiat’s monumental panting Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown), from 1983, set for Sotheby’s contemporary art sale on May 14, estimated at $45 million.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Potential symptoms include rapid breathing, vomiting, panting and a high heart rate.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Eyes wide, panting near panic, Foster perfectly captures the audience's own fear of being alone in the dark with a monster.
—Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
User @briadeshaun took a more relatable route and impersonated an out-of-shape owl, worn out from flying and repeatedly panting to catch its breath.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Gus was awake and panting at his feet.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Canines might be stressed and anxious, which can be shown through panting, whining, barking, pacing or fidgeting.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Gives himself entirely to the race, shoots like a phantom up through the opening and then stands panting in the garret, completely motionless, while his eyes become accustomed to the change of light.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panting
gasping
Verb
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Each speech in Policy is time-limited; kids speak like gasping auctioneers to cram in arguments their opponents must try to rebut.—
Eli Durst,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Symptoms of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, resemble a cold, with a cough that usually worsens over weeks and can cause gasping, vomiting and difficulty breathing, the Pasadena Public Health Department said in a statement announcing the outbreak.—
Fedor Zarkhin,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panting. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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