1
as in hitching
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 flipping
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 thumbing
Val Kilmer’s performance as this trickster poet forever thumbing his nose at reality embodies the movie’s tensions.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Why did Lucas take the note from De Palma while thumbing his nose at studio suggestions?
—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
He was criticized for seemingly thumbing his nose at the NFL’s Rooney Rule and only interviewing four candidates before selecting Vrabel.
—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Israel, a small nation dependent on our country for military support, is thumbing its nose at us, the most powerful country in the world.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
The software update is basically thumbing their noses at the ITC ruling.
—
PC Magazine,
11 Feb. 2025
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
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
Why did Lucas take the note from De Palma while thumbing his nose at studio suggestions?
—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
He was criticized for seemingly thumbing his nose at the NFL’s Rooney Rule and only interviewing four candidates before selecting Vrabel.
—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Israel, a small nation dependent on our country for military support, is thumbing its nose at us, the most powerful country in the world.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
17 Sep. 2025
The software update is basically thumbing their noses at the ITC ruling.
—
PC Magazine,
11 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumbing
Verb
-
Among other things, the Gennaro bill would require hitching posts to be installed throughout the park, which horses could be secured to.
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The union also backed a separate City Council bill that only has eight sponsors, which would make several changes to horse carriage regulations, including more training and hitching posts in the park to tether the horses.
Verb
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The 29-year-old remained in the game and took one more at-bat in the bottom of the third, flipping a single into center field, but he was removed ahead of the top of the fifth.
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Restarting production at the end of the war isn’t like flipping a switch, either.
Verb
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Workers were seen skimming the surface of the pool in the end nearest the World War II Memorial.
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Police are using the incident as a reminder to be aware of skimming devices and to report anything suspicious to an employee or police at the department’s non-emergency number at 203-576-7671.
Cite this Entry
“Thumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumbing. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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