1
as in bobbing
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 interrogating
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 draining
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
pumped water from the well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pumping
Tallulah Gorge State Park Tallulah Gorge State Park is rife with heart-pumping activities, including hiking along its two-mile gorge.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
Moreover, since these frogs can hunker in the mud for days, conservationists resort to pumping water out and allowing the bed to completely dry out, to ferret out every last straggler.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
For 47 years, it's been pumping terror, death, destruction, wars, persecution, taking away women's rights.
—Adam Duxter, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
The human’s task was relegated to pumping a foot pedal to create the pneumatic pressure that drove the automaton.
—Adam Ozimek, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has been pumping funds into supporting local filmmakers and encouraging international co-production.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
His twin brother, Zvonimir Ivisic, is on his feet and pumping his fist to the beat.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Officials have begun pumping the brakes a bit.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Gooding yells giddily, triumphantly jumping and fist-pumping the air.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
Moreover, since these frogs can hunker in the mud for days, conservationists resort to pumping water out and allowing the bed to completely dry out, to ferret out every last straggler.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
For 47 years, it's been pumping terror, death, destruction, wars, persecution, taking away women's rights.
—Adam Duxter, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
The human’s task was relegated to pumping a foot pedal to create the pneumatic pressure that drove the automaton.
—Adam Ozimek, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government has been pumping funds into supporting local filmmakers and encouraging international co-production.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
His twin brother, Zvonimir Ivisic, is on his feet and pumping his fist to the beat.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Officials have begun pumping the brakes a bit.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Gooding yells giddily, triumphantly jumping and fist-pumping the air.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping
Verb
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Even as the Hudson Theatre was still filling up, the star of the Harry Potter movie franchise (and much theater after that) was bobbing and flitting from row to row, exuding equal parts friendliness and determination of purpose.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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The most effective methods are those that involve movement, such as long strips of aluminum foil, holographic mylar tape streamers, or bobbing balloons, says Pierce.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Such works treat their characters as political beings with complex lives worth interrogating.—
Jake Pitre,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
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Even if your wardrobe leans more trendy, try interrogating yourself about certain pieces in your closet.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tatum assisted on Boston’s first two baskets — a cutting and-one layup by Neemias Queta and a White 3-pointer off a Queta steal — then scored the next two, finishing at the rim against Oso Ighodaro and draining a second-chance three.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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Containers can dry out quickly due to quickly draining soil and exposure to warmer above-ground temperatures.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There is the interceptors overhead, there's the loud booms, hotel windows shaking and alerts going off on your phone at all hours of the day and night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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The energy was on 10 from the moment Lil Fame and Billy Danze stepped onstage, bass shaking the walls like sheet metal in high wind.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Later this spring, the mayor’s office is interested in further examining costs related to event security, solid waste disposal, permits, right-of-way access and other elements.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
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Also, God forbid, but the examining team might need to unstitch a section of the dress, and there was just the slightest chance that it wouldn’t be put back exactly as it had been received.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In pre-Christian Ireland, sucking breasts was a way of showing subjugation to a king and the cutting out of Old Croghan Man’s nipples is, historians believe, an indication that he had been thus stripped of his claims to kingship.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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Just sucking on an ibuprofen caplet can lead to rapid kidney failure and death.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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But then her limbs started jerking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, the government calls these efforts inadequate, questioning Novo Nordisk’s ability to monitor drug safety and oversee its call centers on a broader scale.—
Austin Fast,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Chief among them was the June 2020 arrest of broker Gianluigi Torzi, who was held in the Vatican barracks for 10 days of questioning without charge or a judge’s warrant, and had his cellphones and laptop seized.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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