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

Hydroelectric equipment initially powered construction machinery, while surplus electricity supported pumping and served Phoenix customers. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026

At Stevens' party, the lights were softer, the crowd more spread throughout the hotel, and The Supremes were pumping through the speakers. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

The pump should immediately turn on and begin pumping water out. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026

Water authorities trying to maintain adequate supplies of fresh water have banned farmers in some parts of the country from pumping water out of canals to irrigate their crops. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

According to Navarrot, the primary approach of his district is in-lieu groundwater recharge, a practice where excess surface water is supplied to users instead of pumping groundwater. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Aug. 2026

The unimaginable stress put on their longtime friendship by the adrenaline-pumping fight-or-flight situation effectively becomes the emotional crux of the movie. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Don’t miss Raja, a heart-pumping tube slide with a 37-foot drop as its climactic finish. — Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026

The powerhouse sisters were raised in London in a musical home, with talent essentially pumping through each of their veins. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026