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

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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 The first uses a special rig that pumps sCO₂ through real downhole equipment under realistic conditions. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 The Pod sits atop your mattress and connects to a hub that pumps heated or cooled water through internal tubing, with each side of the bed running its own heat zone. — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 Scoop it up for half-off, then pick up these Jeffrey Campbell pumps and a pretty clutch to complete the look. — Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 The heart pumps resources, money, services, attention, out to every neighborhood. — Lisa Nee, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Adventure seekers will want to check out the park’s 39-foot-tall body slides or try surfing the Pipeline, which pumps 48,645 gallons of water per minute. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026 The teen was using an apparatus called a third lung, which floats on the water's surface and pumps air to divers through a breathing hose, the affidavit said. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 There is also a prototype pair of red Valentino Garavani Rockstud pumps identical to those worn by Streep in the film’s trailer. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 For instance, the Colorado River water that CAP pumps to the cities is relatively clean and requires less purification in municipal treatment plants than what comes out of some groundwater basins or down the Salt River. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumps

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

Aerate The Soil Soil that drains poorly and becomes waterlogged will cause grass to suffer, but nutgrass can flourish in these conditions.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026
Defensiveness extends conversations, weakens credibility and drains emotional energy that could have been directed toward solving problems.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of drains

Verb

And the reduced flow of goods through one of the world’s most consequential shipping lanes could create a ripple effect that shakes the world’s economy.

— Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026
Miami likely will hold off on signing a 15th player to a standard contract, at least for now, in order to see who shakes free in the buyout market.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of shakes

Verb

The course work can include classes that take a critical and historical approach to AI, said Todd Presner, a professor of European languages and transcultural studies who examines how Holocaust history is presented online.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
As urban researchers studying housing insecurity and urban development, our work examines what happens when rapid urban expansion outpaces cities’ ability to shelter their most vulnerable residents.

— Brandon Marc Finn, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 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

Still, most Republicans are not flocking to Ossoff, as Collins tries to tie him to the far-left of the party and questions his experience.

— Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Mayor Karen Bass questions the progress and said that city personnel were inside the warehouse earlier today and that food waste remains.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of questions

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pumping up

pumps

pumps up

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“Pumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumps. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of pumps

verb

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