thumb

Definition of thumbnext
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

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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

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 thumb For months, this young, rambunctious, and altogether infectious bunch played with house money, thumbing their collective noses at the idea of another year of rebuild futility. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026 When the Chicago Tribune went after him, stirring up the first of many federal, state, and local investigations into Robinson's activities, Noah thumbed his nose. Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 Why did Lucas take the note from De Palma while thumbing his nose at studio suggestions? Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 Vonn thumbed her nose at the odds. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumb
Verb
  • Stinknet grows aggressively, winning the numbers game of reproduction by releasing hundreds of seeds per plant that can ride far on the wind or hitch on a vehicle.
    Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • That starts before the trailer is even hitched to the tow vehicle, as the unit can locate the tow vehicle hitch and secure in place at the touch of a command on the accompanying app.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Martha watched all of this unfold from the flip-down seat by the window next to the Dutchman’s lower bunk.
    Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Outside the most rare handful of cards, retail investors and collectors are flipping back open their dusty collection books from 20 or more years ago and hoping to strike gold.
    Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Spring cleaning bumming you out?
    K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Action that doesn't get exhausting, humor that isn't repetitive and drama that won't bum you out, these shows go down easy and keep you hungry for more.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But other begonia varieties have foliage that can hold its own in the garden when the plants aren't flowering, too, like the Polka Dot begonia (Begonia maculata) and the orange-leafed 'Autumn Crinkle' begonia, a rhizomatous hybrid.
    Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2026
  • In English woodlands, bluebells flower early in spring, as light seeps through newly leafing trees.
    Amy Waldman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The crew has been in medical quarantine since March 18 to protect their voyage from hitchhiking germs.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The two often hitchhiked home for the weekend.
    Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Back then, the home dressmaker and fabric aficionado could skim the racks quickly and rather easily spot quality, 100% wool skirts made by companies such as Pendleton Woolen Mills of Oregon and the Minnesota Woolen Company of Duluth.
    Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
  • The action sequences, specifically those involving the spaceship skimming the upper atmosphere of a distant planet, are breathtaking in scope.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Thumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumb. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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