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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of thumbed
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumbed
Verb
-
Whitford started dating his Transparent costar Amy Landecker in 2015, and the two got hitched in 2019.
-
Earlier this month, Page Six and TMZ reported the pop superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end would get hitched at the massive New York venue, citing sources with direct knowledge of the planning.
Verb
-
Okorie flipped his commitment from Harvard to join Stanford for his freshman year in the 2025 season, becoming an Associated Press All-American honorable mention, the All-ACC first team and the ACC All-Rookie team.
-
Then there's Ed Hale, owner of the Baltimore Blast soccer team and retired banking executive, who flipped his party from Democrat to Republican for this race.
Verb
-
Messi then pushed it up and launched an unstoppable left-footed arcing shot that skimmed the gloves of Algeria goalkeeper Luca (son of Zinedine) Zidane and into the top right corner.
-
Rendered in a soft buttercream hue, the dress featured a high neckline and an elegant swing silhouette that skimmed the body rather than hugging it.
Cite this Entry
“Thumbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumbed. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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