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
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What’s more, all of them operate or are members of outside media ventures, meaning that MS NOW, NBC News, CBS News and others are hitching their corporate fortunes to people whose top priority may be the health of their own endeavors and not always those of the company employing them.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Economist Jayati Ghosh, who researched India's COVID response, estimates some 80 million migrant workers tried to return home, walking and hitching rides in searing summer heat.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Confirming a Fed chair isn’t like flipping a switch.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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Alysa Liu captivated the 2026 Winter Olympics stage with fearless self-expression, flipping the script on figure skating style with her frenulum piercing and halo hair.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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The Second City helped launch a slew of now-famous faces like Stephen Colbert, John Belushi, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey; and that's just skimming the surface.—
Dana Kozlov,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thumbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumbing. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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