Synonyms of thumb

thumb

verb

1

as in to hitch

to travel by securing free rides

thought I'd thumb into town instead of paying for a cab

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hitch
• bum
• hitchhike
• stow away
• hijack
• carjack

2

as in to flip

to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner

I thumbed through the book during the flight but was too distracted to really read it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flip
• leaf
• skim
• riffle
• scan
• look over
• browse
• glance (at)
• dip

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• study
• pore (over)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of thumb

There was a phone book, camera film canisters, metal pins, the tattered remains of a baseball cap and an orange t-shirt with the outline of a giant thumbs up. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026

James Ontiveros, ninth-generation grower and owner of Native 9, holds out his right hand, thumb down, to explain the topography of Santa Barbara County. — Michelle Williams, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Apple Watch users will also be able to tap their index finger and thumb together once to select a widget in the Smart Stack of the watch to see relevant information, per Apple. — Mason Leath, ABC News, 8 June 2026

Even games with anti-cheat that thumbed their nose at Linux and the Steam Deck are now supporting Windows on Arm, too. — Sean Hollister, The Verge, 1 June 2026

Phrases Containing thumb

• Tom Thumb
• thumb one's nose (at)

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes