1
as in hitched
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 flipped
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
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Recent Examples of thumbed
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
House lawyers argued that Bannon had thumbed his nose at the committee and ignored the subpoena.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Vonn thumbed her nose at the odds.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Instead of driving it away, King thumbed his nose at the neighbors and moved it into his front driveway.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Back during the height of covid, the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery thumbed its nose at social-distancing recommendations and crammed upwards of a thousand people into its beer garden for its annual Mecktoberfest.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Since then, several states have thumbed their nose at the order.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Before Drew could say anything, Mike thumbed his collar and wandered off, still gazing at the color wheel.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
In short, Moscow sees Montenegro as both strategically valuable and an impudent upstart that has thumbed its nose at the Russian bear while genuflecting before NATO and Washington.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2016
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
House lawyers argued that Bannon had thumbed his nose at the committee and ignored the subpoena.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Vonn thumbed her nose at the odds.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 9 Feb. 2026
Instead of driving it away, King thumbed his nose at the neighbors and moved it into his front driveway.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Back during the height of covid, the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery thumbed its nose at social-distancing recommendations and crammed upwards of a thousand people into its beer garden for its annual Mecktoberfest.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Since then, several states have thumbed their nose at the order.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Before Drew could say anything, Mike thumbed his collar and wandered off, still gazing at the color wheel.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
In short, Moscow sees Montenegro as both strategically valuable and an impudent upstart that has thumbed its nose at the Russian bear while genuflecting before NATO and Washington.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumbed
Verb
-
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
-
Speculation began circulating that the pair had already gotten hitched after March 1, following an Access Hollywood interview with Roach on the red carpet at the Actor Awards.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In all of 2025, roughly 297,000 single-family homes and condos were flipped nationwide, according to ATTOM, a real estate data provider, which defines a flip as a home purchased and sold in the same 12-month period.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Then, the trend flipped, with departures outpacing hires in all four quarters of last year.—
Vernal Coleman,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lui Sarinan, 17, skimmed the job description taped to the plastic folding table.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
My mind drifted to the World Rally Championship as the Duster skimmed across the surface with unexpected pace and stability.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumbed. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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