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

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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

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 pumping McDougal was pumping gas when three masked gunmen ran at him, firing numerous shots. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 July 2026 Among the projects envisioned throughout the development are a widened Todd George Parkway, sewer pumping plants and lines, and water mains. — Nathan Pilling july 9, Kansas City Star, 9 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 So Saudi Arabia lacks the same incentive to start pumping oil like crazy. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 The second bypass line was expected to start pumping following testing, city officials said in their Thursday update. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 5 July 2026 Reasonable people can debate whether Europe is better off pumping some of its own rather than importing every barrel, and amid a run of Middle East supply shocks, that energy-security case is not frivolous. — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 Conversations struck up while pumping gas or waiting for coffee. — Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping
  1. bobbing
  2. interrogating
  3. draining
  4. shaking
  5. examining
  6. sucking
  7. jerking
  8. questioning
Verb
  • The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Definition of bobbing
Verb
  • The Average Problem Dines has been running his own experiments with frontier models, asking them to write in distinct styles and then interrogating them about why the output comes back bland.
    — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Investigators sat across from nearly every young child at Skyline – many of whose nascent, swinging legs could not yet reach the ground from their chairs – interrogating them over their missing classmate.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
Definition of interrogating
Verb
  • The floor sink beneath the 3-comp sink was draining slowly and observed unclean.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado July 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
  • Their variety of runs and rotations are hard for any side to defend against, with the Spaniards slowly draining your physical and mental energy across the course of 90 minutes (or more).
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of draining
Verb
  • This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • An earth-shaking roar The World Cup finally arrived in Kansas City after several years of preparation and anticipation.
    — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • Drill Tech-Obayashi alleges Yuba Water is steering that investigation away from examining its own operational decisions while focusing instead on the contractor’s work.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
  • The story reported that the victims had completed a safety course, while also examining state requirements and the large share of California boaters who had not.
    — Bryce Martin, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of examining
Verb
  • The groan-shout of sweaty irritation that rose from our bench was life-sucking, and also far too familiar.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 8 July 2026
  • According to Levine, no attempt should be made to remove the venom yourself, whether by sucking on the wound or cutting it.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of sucking
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 jerking
Verb
  • Blurring the boundaries between reality and delusion, psychological horror explores the mind in all its complexity, often leaving audiences questioning their own perceptions.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 July 2026
  • As the collection makes clear, Aviv prefers restless questioning to closure or complacency.
    — Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of questioning

Browse Nearby Words

pump-faking
pumping
pumping up
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Cite this Entry

“Pumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pumping for Spanish Speakers

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