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 The administration pumps all their money into the football team, while the English department languishes. — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026 Iran has retaliated against targets across the Middle East, including a pumping station on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, and has used attacks on commercial shipping to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. — Steven John, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026 There’s Peter Green (Firstman), a scruffy, dark-haired man in his twenties; his flinty-eyed business partner, Sophie (Cara Delevingne); and several other friends, all of them pumped to drink, dance, and do ketamine bumps into the wee hours. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026 Fresh precursors can be pumped in through the veins, and one day they might be partly gathered from the environment. — New Atlas, 5 Nov. 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
  • 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
Verb
  • The brands poised for success are those that are actively interrogating their catalog’s purpose, data structure and defensive posture against AI intermediaries.
    — Zohar Gilad, Forbes.com, 12 Nov. 2026
  • But slathering on credits unthinkingly feels lazy and also something on which progressives might want to interrogate their own policy preferences.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of interrogate
Verb
  • The brain wound was cleaned and drained before surgeons patched up his skull.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Crews started excavating the site Wednesday, once utility workers had drained water and cleared other hazards, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of drain
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
  • The inquiry is expected to examine internal communications and access protocols.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Campaigns could seek court orders, usually county by county, seeking to examine ballots.
    — BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of examine
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
  • But innovation does not come from a system that effectively discourages questioning.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The Iran war explains part of that, but investors also question a government and Congress with no plan to back the debt with future surpluses.
    — Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of question

Phrases Containing pump

Browse Nearby Words

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 13 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pump

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