THUMBED Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

thumbed

verb

past tense of thumb

as in hitched

to travel by securing free rides thought I'd thumb into town instead of paying for a cab

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 thumbed Super agent Scott Boras spoke about the potential for a lockout and thumbed his nose at the owners who want to limit how much teams can spend on talent. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026 Following the vote, Speaker Mike Johnson celebrated its passage and thumbed his nose at those who questioned or openly doubted its prospects. — John Parkinson, ABC News, 1 Sep. 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 McCain first thumbed the pages en route to the Tarkanian Classic, a notable high school tournament in Las Vegas. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 23 May 2026 Emin’s masterpiece thumbed its nose at a tradition of recumbent feminine flesh on tousled white sheets (think Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Manet’s Olympia, or any number of bosomy Lucian Freud nudes). — Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026 Caleb Foster thumbed over his shoulder to move Cam Boozer. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026 Since the late 1970s, victories at the bargaining table have been less frequent, and UFW leaders admit ranchers thumbed their noses during contract negotiations, daring them to strike. — Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumbed

Verb

But Coyote has hitched his hopes for the mammoth case upon a man who could only be called a coward.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Looks like an entire orbital launchpad could be hitched to a semi-truck and driven anywhere on Earth, thanks to space launch provider Rocket Lab.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of hitched

Verb

In her remarks, Wintour made the evening’s only direct reference to the midterms, reminiscing about attending a fundraising event for James Talarico, who successfully flipped Texas in the race for the Senate last night, alongside Burch.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
With the balance of power in Tallahassee at stake, Miami’s Republican state senators fended off tough challenges Tuesday night, while Democratic candidates flipped several South Florida state House seats for the minority party in Florida’s capital.

— Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of flipped

Verb

For those who live in a city within Adams County or believe the card was skimmed in that city, please contact that jurisdiction.

— Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops.

— Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026