Synonyms of pumping

pumping

verb

present participle of pump

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

• bobbing
• shaking
• jerking
• swaying
• nodding
• jogging
• wagging
• seesawing
• rocking
• jouncing
• swinging
• ducking
• wiggling
• bobbling
• oscillating
• jiggling
• wobbling
• undulating
• dropping

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

• interrogating
• examining
• questioning
• grilling
• quizzing
• sweating
• querying
• catechizing
• picking the brains of
• giving the third degree to
• harassing
• debriefing
• pestering
• hounding
• annoying
• canvassing
• polling
• cross-examining
• cross-questioning

3

as in draining

to remove (liquid) gradually or completely

pumped water from the well

Synonyms & Similar Words

• draining
• sucking
• siphoning
• emptying
• tapping
• bleeding
• drawing (off)
• cleaning
• drafting
• evacuating
• milking
• flushing
• exhausting
• purging
• depleting
• clearing
• vacating
• voiding
• effusing
• vacuating
• decanting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• filling
• wetting
• washing
• soaking
• watering
• bathing
• drenching
• flooding
• dousing
• drowning
• overflowing
• inundating
• sousing
• swamping
• submerging
• deluging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pumping

In that role, Hanke developed a framework showing that the federation would generate the greatest wealth for its people over time by pumping as much oil as possible. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Fortunately, your aligners can be worn for most of your heart-pumping workouts. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

While Tavares coach Gavin Jones ponders how to replace 18 transfer players heading into the season, just down Route 441, new Eustis coach Tanner Harris is pumping some energy into a program that has had four coaches in three years. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026

The Cleveland Clinic describes it as a condition where the heart is enlarged and has trouble pumping blood. — Callum Sutherland, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Farmers from Belgium and Germany filled up tanker trucks, pumping water from a nearby lake before heading toward the fire area to help firefighters. — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Nighthawk solves this mismatch by charging up when electricity is cheap and abundant, then pumping it back into the San Diego power grid during peak hours. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026

The vehicle was found to have stopped at a gas station on Stratford Avenue in Stratford, where a passenger got out and appeared to have a hard time pumping gas, the warrant affidavit said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026

There are also some manual vacuums available that rely on a pumping action from the user. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026