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
Relevance
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
Conversations struck up while pumping gas or waiting for coffee.
—
Divia Thani,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
Firefighters deployed to the Turkey Creek pumping station and tried desperately to keep the engine room dry.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Riffing on the mysterious Area 51 in the Las Vegas desert, this bizarre indoor, immersive entertainment venue blends elements of Hollywood, performance art, adrenaline-pumping adventures and food.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The utility said around noon that crews are in the process of locating valves to get water pumping again, but repairs might take 12-16 hours.
—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
The celebration is friendly to new parents, hosting a mobile care center with private nursing/pumping suites and diaper changing stations.
—
Cole Premo,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Gentle muscle-pumping movements encourage lymph flow and may ease the heavy or tight feeling many people get after long periods of inactivity or hormonal shifts.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
In late May, Peterson, the community activist, said she was frustrated by the pace of finding a resolution to the hole — including even pumping standing water out to see what was at the bottom.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.
—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
Divia Thani,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
Firefighters deployed to the Turkey Creek pumping station and tried desperately to keep the engine room dry.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Riffing on the mysterious Area 51 in the Las Vegas desert, this bizarre indoor, immersive entertainment venue blends elements of Hollywood, performance art, adrenaline-pumping adventures and food.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The utility said around noon that crews are in the process of locating valves to get water pumping again, but repairs might take 12-16 hours.
—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
The celebration is friendly to new parents, hosting a mobile care center with private nursing/pumping suites and diaper changing stations.
—
Cole Premo,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Gentle muscle-pumping movements encourage lymph flow and may ease the heavy or tight feeling many people get after long periods of inactivity or hormonal shifts.
—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2026
In late May, Peterson, the community activist, said she was frustrated by the pace of finding a resolution to the hole — including even pumping standing water out to see what was at the bottom.
—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.
—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumping
Verb
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Fascinators — those bobbing bundles often of feathers, flowers and netting perched off-center of the wearer’s head — are banned here.
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Producers like Shungu, QThree, Mike Shabb, and Elsesser himself let their legato phrases repeat ad infinitum, gently bobbing like a dinghy in agitated waters.
Verb
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That separation allows teams to focus on interrogating problems rather than defending people.
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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.
Verb
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Young people didn’t think these types of jobs paid enough money and felt the roles were often more emotionally draining than others.
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Both handhelds sipped power during Balatro, draining the battery at around 14W and 9W, respectively.
Verb
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Right now, that faith is shaking as a wave of cruelty sweeps through our communities.
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With more shaking or churning, these grains grow and separate from the watery, naturally low-fat buttermilk.
Verb
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During the quantum program, Dash worked with Flores and another member of the cohort to develop a project examining how quantum computing could be used to detect the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Start by examining the leaves.
Verb
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The Tennis Racket Is Not the Tennis Player There’s a narrative that generative AI is a soul-sucking, job-killing machine.
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Federal water managers have already been sucking water out of other reservoirs in Colorado and Wyoming to slow Lake Powell's decline.
Verb
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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.
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Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
Verb
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The video ends with the woman remaining at the scene until Broward Sheriff's Office deputies arrived and detained her for questioning.
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This can be especially true for LGBTQ+ youth looking for support, teens questioning their identity, or young people whose religious, political or social views differ from those of their parents.
Cite this Entry
“Pumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumping. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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