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

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is handing Ukraine the blueprints to a valuable piece of his country’s military technology, thumbing his nose at a Kremlin that says the United Kingdom is now a party in the conflict. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

Orion gave a smirk and thumbs up to the camera while Keats made a funny face and stuck his tongue out. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026

Hawkins, by contrast, almost seems to be thumbing his nose at the whole concept of existing as a complex, nuanced human being. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026

In one scene, a pair of revellers dance naked just outside the fence of the Calvary Cemetery, thumbing their noses at the reaper while the Manhattan skyline towers in the distance. — Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026

Phrases Containing thumb

• Tom Thumb
• thumb one's nose (at)

Video

When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

Head, shoulders, metaphors, and toes