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 That includes the snake's heart — to be able to pump more blood and oxygen to digest the meal. — Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 July 2026 Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 July 2026 Pitching in the rotation spot vacated when Randy Vásquez went on the IL with a right ankle bruise, Márquez overcame a 31-pitch first inning and was able to walk off the mound four innings later pumping his fist after throwing just 51 more. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 Analysts at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs warned last week that the market could be heading for a glut next year if producers continue pumping without consideration of demand. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 7 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
  • Countless trees were felled and taken to Eugene for processing in mills or floated up the Willamette to Portland, the sawn trunks chained together in massive, bobbing rafts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Definition of bob
Verb
  • But the filmmaker proves more interested in interrogating that ethos than recreating it, and few horror mythologies are better suited to exploring betrayal and regret than one built around the refusal to let the dead remain dead.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
  • After being interrogated, Hale was hanged at age 21, about two months after the Declaration of Independence.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of interrogate
Verb
  • Conwell drained a three on his first shot but then missed six in a row, before hitting another three late in the third quarter.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
  • The promotion dropped on Monday, June 29 and almost immediately, the original $150,000 budget allocated to the promotion was drained —covering some 25,000 pulls.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • The question is whether Thompson will shake free from the Mavericks, either through a buyout or trade.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
  • The wine and cocktail menu sports a few local makers too, including Gruet Winery’s sparkling wine and Hollow Spirits vodka, which is shaken into the restaurant’s take on a Vesper martini.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Apple examines each application and each update of every third-party app, and if these don’t meet Apple’s definition of acceptable, then they are not allowed to be installed.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • These agencies examine the water in comparison to contamination thresholds to determine if the area is swimmable.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 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
  • Rather than questioning Tuchel’s right to criticise, Kane took his manager’s side.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • In past hearings, Paul has frequently questioned the former White House medical adviser about bat coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 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 16 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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