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

Their findings, published in Langmuir, could help address the challenges the industry faces with conventional liquid and gel propellants, including fuel movement inside tanks and pumping fuel into engines. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

These are year-round destinations that offer world-class art, adrenaline-pumping slopes, and family-friendly activities. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026

The crowd jumps around, bearded men in the front singing along, kids on their parents’ shoulders pumping fists in the air, catharsis at the end of a long summer. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026

After a years-long battle, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to end oil drilling and pumping within city limits once and for all. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

An April 9 strike on a pumping station cut throughput by about 700,000 barrels a day before Saudi Arabia restored full capacity days later. — Steven John, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

In a city known for fast, adrenaline-pumping vacations, the Scenic Boat Tour invites visitors to slow down and experience Orlando in a totally different light. — Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026

There are no fist-pumping anthems, blister-raising leads or Homme’s cool-AF braggadocio at play here. — Jason Pettigrew, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026

Nvidia’s road map calls for pumping a megawatt into a single rack. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026