pump

verb

Definition of pumpnext
1
as in to bob
to make short up-and-down movements the thighs of the bicyclists were pumping furiously as they neared the finish line

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to interrogate
to put a series of questions to prying neighbors pumped the guileless child for information about the family's new pool

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to drain
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely pumped water from the well

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pump At the hospital, the doctor pumped Isul’s stomach and gave her fluids. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 The spigots serve as injection ports, where crews can pump grout behind the tunnel wall, with the goal of coating and encasing the entire tunnel lining under the Newtown Creek in a waterproof layer, filling any cracks along the way. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026 Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026 Feynman’s own experiment showed a slight tremor when pressure was first applied to pump water through the nozzle, and then the sprinkler returned to its original position and remained still. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pump
  1. bob
  2. interrogate
  3. drain
  4. shake
  5. examine
  6. jerk
  7. question
Verb
  • Guidry, at the prow, raised the lantern, revealed in the circle oflight a bobbing tangle of sargassum weed, a swimming snake, a child’s cloth doll.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Their long, droopy tails would likely pull them downward and send their snouts bobbing up.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 July 2026
Definition of bob
Verb
  • The brothers’ previous films included 2021’s Camp Confidential, about European Jews who found asylum in America after fleeing Nazi Europe, enlisted in the Army, and interrogated Nazi war criminals at a secret camp.
    — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • Along these routes, the bulldozers piled up mounds to enclose fortified compounds, military outposts and detention facilities where Palestinians were interrogated and tortured.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of interrogate
Verb
  • The shattered standing forlornly by the podium at the end of a draining tournament, hearts broken, bodies exhausted, having to watch as the opposition receive the reward that England were agonisingly close to.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • Ryan Fox took home the Claret Jug after draining a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.
    — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Penta went for a Mexican Destroyer on the apron, but Rusev shook him off as the heels took control.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Keegan was not interested in being figurehead or a legend in the executive boxes, shaking hands and reminiscing about the old days.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • The deputies responded to the scene in personal work trucks rather than the department’s bomb truck and Osborn improperly examined the grenade and falsely reported it inert, according to the complaint.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • The advocacy group Innocence Project encountered Smith while examining prison admission dates.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
Definition of examine
Verb
  • Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026
  • Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Gen might have gotten away scot-free from the sheets incident in terms of optics — no one questions her involvement, even though her job description includes housekeeping — but karma hounds her during the first day of the charter.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • On Friday at Fanatics Fest in New York, Messi was questioned about the photos by Tom Brady during a World Cup final event involving both teams’ coaches and captains.
    — Brooks Peck, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of question

Phrases Containing pump

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pummels
pump
pumped
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Cite this Entry

“Pump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pump. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pump

Nglish: Translation of pump for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pump

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