1
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
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Recent Examples of pumps
To give this look a more contemporary feel, pair your trousers with a lace bodysuit and pumps like above.
—
Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Semi-official Iranian agency Mehr News said multiple strikes had been reported on the island, to which Iran pumps almost all of its crude production through underwater pipelines for export.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026
The system diverts stormwater into a giant tank and then, at Fourteenth Street, pumps it out at up to three hundred and fifty million gallons a day, sending it on to the Newtown Creek wastewater facility.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Kate paired it with the Bahrain pearl drop earrings, the toffee-colored Nano Montreal bag from her beloved DeMellier, and gold calfskin Ralph Lauren pumps.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
The two-stroke engine pumps about 90-110 decibels, 30 decibels above safe levels.
—Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
During warmups, Celebrini pumps his fist in victory after playing rock-paper-scissors with kids along the glass.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Porter said he was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which, according to Mayo Clinic, pumps blood outside of the body to a heart-lung machine, removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Semi-official Iranian agency Mehr News said multiple strikes had been reported on the island, to which Iran pumps almost all of its crude production through underwater pipelines for export.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 7 Apr. 2026
The system diverts stormwater into a giant tank and then, at Fourteenth Street, pumps it out at up to three hundred and fifty million gallons a day, sending it on to the Newtown Creek wastewater facility.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Kate paired it with the Bahrain pearl drop earrings, the toffee-colored Nano Montreal bag from her beloved DeMellier, and gold calfskin Ralph Lauren pumps.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
The two-stroke engine pumps about 90-110 decibels, 30 decibels above safe levels.
—Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
During warmups, Celebrini pumps his fist in victory after playing rock-paper-scissors with kids along the glass.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Porter said he was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which, according to Mayo Clinic, pumps blood outside of the body to a heart-lung machine, removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumps
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Hitchcock's greatest film is a perfect thriller that interrogates our obsession with observing the lives of others.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
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June interrogates him about Frankenstein and mentions the creature being forced to do another’s bidding.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s a queerness to Mantello’s vision, including a blurring of gender associations that begins with its leads and radiates throughout, that ultimately drains the drama of its potency.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
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Make sure the water from dehumidifiers and air conditioners drains somewhere that easily dries up.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rx bars were fanned out on a silver platter, Lean Body shakes dotted the table, cups of Chobani were arranged in a pyramid.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
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Use protein powders in smoothies or shakes to help fill nutrient gaps.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rendering examines how artificial intelligence is disrupting the entertainment industry, taking you inside key battlegrounds and spotlighting change makers wielding the technology for good and ill.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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In the final hours of President Biden's term, a Polymarket trader made around $300,000 correctly betting on Biden's last-minute pardons, according to new data provided to NPR by an analytics firm that examines cryptocurrency transactions.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Memo from the Hill Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) questions former Special Counsel Jack Smith during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, in Washington, DC on January 22, 2026.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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By the way, if anyone questions whether this is a rebuild, consider Aikman’s words.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumps. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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