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

The arena’s corridors were dotted with blow-up photos of the president in the Oval Office or pumping his fist in the air in Butler. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

The forest, sprawled across the Cascade Mountains’ western slopes, comes with views of peaks like Mount Washington and the Three Sisters, as well as heart-pumping trails. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Brent crude oil prices paused in early trading on Tuesday after gaining in the previous session following a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia that reduced flows from Kazakhstan. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

In its letter, the Bureau of Reclamation cited concerns about restrictions on pumping under the state’s plan. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

For pumping mothers and parents returning to work, the nightly deep-clean routine can become a practical way to prepare for the next 12 to 24 hours. — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Temporary federal relief programs were pumping money into the economy, offsetting a lot of the damage being done by lockdowns and layoffs and business closures. — Paddy Hirsch, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Getting the heart pumping through chest compressions distributes oxygen. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Developed at the University of Sharjah’s Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering (RISE), this HyperFuel series could slash carbon footprints while pumping octane ratings up to 102. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026