Synonyms of pump

pump

verb

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

• bob
• shake
• jerk
• sway
• jog
• nod
• wag
• jounce
• swing
• bobble
• rock
• seesaw
• duck
• wiggle
• oscillate
• jiggle
• wobble
• drop
• undulate

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

• interrogate
• examine
• question
• grill
• catechize
• query
• sweat
• quiz
• pick the brains of
• annoy
• harass
• give the third degree to
• debrief
• pester
• canvass
• hound
• cross-examine
• cross-question
• poll

3

as in to drain

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely

pumped water from the well

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drain
• tap
• suck
• siphon
• draw (off)
• empty
• bleed
• evacuate
• clean
• draft
• milk
• flush
• exhaust
• purge
• vacate
• void
• clear
• deplete
• vacuate
• decant
• effuse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fill
• water
• wash
• soak
• wet
• bathe
• drench
• flood
• douse
• overflow
• drown
• inundate
• swamp
• submerge
• souse
• deluge

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pump

Brent crude oil prices paused in early trading on Tuesday after gaining in the previous session following a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia that reduced flows from Kazakhstan. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Dozens of fire engines pumped foam over the roadway and the burning buildings. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026

Temporary federal relief programs were pumping money into the economy, offsetting a lot of the damage being done by lockdowns and layoffs and business closures. — Paddy Hirsch, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Getting the heart pumping through chest compressions distributes oxygen. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing pump

• pump up