PUMPS Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

pumps

verb

present tense third-person singular of pump

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

Relevance

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

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 These outflows are a critical part of how a black hole pumps energy into its host galaxy and regulates its growth, according to Christopher Reynolds, a professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park, who was not involved with the study. —

Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 16 June 2026 Gas pumps at a BP were torn out of the ground. —

Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026 The actress opted for the romantic I Love Vivier pumps from the I Love Vivier collection, which celebrates the theme of love. —

Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 8 June 2026 Diesel fuel is used by the tractors, harvesters, and irrigation pumps farmers heavily rely on. —

Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 7 June 2026 My chest feels tight as my heart pumps against the elevation, though some of this sensation may simply be awe. —

Alexandra Oliva june 1, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026 Lipa also wore white gloves and pumps with lion-eye detailing, reportedly by Christian Louboutin; her oversized statement hat, which was lined in gold leaf, was designed by Stephen Jones. —

Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 31 May 2026 And in them, Roberts, 58, wore a Trussardi powder blue button-up shirt that’s no longer available, what appeared to be $1,025 Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane pumps, and a denim skirt from the same Italian brand as her top. —

Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026 Providing the voice of one of the many alien characters is Martin Scorsese, who has some amusing moments with his typically rapid-fire delivery as a nervous street food vendor whom Djarin pumps for information. —

Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumps

Verb

Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation.

— Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them.

— Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025