pumps

verb

present tense third-person singular of pump
1
as in bobs
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 interrogates
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 drains
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 pumps From sharp Christian Louboutin pumps to edgy boots, and plenty of Saint Laurent designs, take a look at more of her standout shoe moments in 2026 below. — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 31 July 2026 Zendaya let the gown shine, keeping her accessories simple with her go-to Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps, a Rolex on her left wrist, and two diamond rings, including her engagement sparkler. — Afia Asamoah, InStyle, 24 July 2026 The crustacean also has a sizable recreational and commercial fishery, which pumps significant money into the state’s economy, the department said. — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 During the interview, Burgum also said the green algae that was permeating the pool has now been fixed, thanks to nanobubbler technology that pumps tiny ozone bubbles into the water to damage algae’s cells. — Philip Wang, Time, 6 July 2026 At the same time, the heart pumps more blood to help regulate body temperature. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Another way that Sheridan pumps projects out is by avoiding typical industry practices. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026 Lymphatic System vs Circulatory System Your heart pumps blood. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 The Griz constantly pumps the rod to get his bait darting forward and then dropping back. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumps
  1. bobs
  2. interrogates
  3. drains
  4. shakes
  5. examines
  6. siphons
  7. jerks
  8. questions
Verb
  • Multiple saunas and cold plunge pools sit alongside hot pools right on deck, and the whole thing bobs gently while the harbor traffic goes by, which somehow makes the ritual feel more honest than any five-star spa could.
    — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • From a fringed mullet, to a blonde buzz cut, bobs in various lengths, micro bangs, and even a shade of citrus—Kristen Stewart’s looks are always executed with an edge.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 July 2026
Definition of bobs
Verb
  • One day scholars will teach Lepore’s work alongside Arendt’s, seeing that Lepore interrogates not simply a modern moment, but traces our current machine age back to the 17th-century conceit for artifice as improvement.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
  • Writer-director Ari Aster interrogates not just the social and political turmoil of COVID-19, but also the way social media can exacerbate that unraveling of collective neuroses.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
Definition of interrogates
Verb
  • Redesign how the job actually gets done on-site, begin with where your people spend their time and what drains it, and bring in technology to serve that work.
    — Jessica Beck, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … DIGITAL HEIST — Coldcard wallet attack drains up to $89M in Bitcoin from 1,200+ addresses.
    — , FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of drains
Verb
  • Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns shakes hands with his father Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes after the Cleveland Browns Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 30, 2026 in Berea, Ohio.
    — Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • The other is praying an elite center from another team shakes free.
    — Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of shakes
Verb
  • Her work examines fashion as a cultural and ideological system, with a focus on copying, repetition, and reuse as critical and pedagogical strategies to question dominant notions of originality and value.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 30 July 2026
  • The research examines nearly 2,000 past and future total solar eclipse paths, comparing them with present-day national borders to determine how frequently each country experiences the rare celestial event.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of examines
Verb
  • Constantly landing on jokes — like in its portrayal of Lockjaw and his efforts to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a powerful white-supremacists faction — siphons a sense of urgency from the film’s sketches of American unrest and white male violence.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
  • The filing comes days after Spotify was accused in another class action lawsuit of permitting massive amounts of streaming fraud on its platform, which siphons royalties from artists whose numbers aren’t artificially inflated.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Definition of siphons
Verb
  • In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of jerks
Verb
  • However, the article questions this approach, arguing drones can still succeed by causing disruption even if defeated, and calls for more proactive air dominance against evolving drone threats.
    — Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • The director is a descendant of the First Nations, and the film questions the colonial myth of what is beyond the frontier and how this myth still affects people.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of questions

Browse Nearby Words

pumping up
pumps
pumps up
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Cite this Entry

“Pumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumps. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pumps for Spanish Speakers

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