THUMBING Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

thumbing

verb

present participle of thumb

as in hitching

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 thumbing Hawkins, by contrast, almost seems to be thumbing his nose at the whole concept of existing as a complex, nuanced human being. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 July 2026 In one scene, a pair of revellers dance naked just outside the fence of the Calvary Cemetery, thumbing their noses at the reaper while the Manhattan skyline towers in the distance. — Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026 That’s sacrilege on par with an Ohioan disowning football or a Texan recoiling at the smell of brisket, a Kentuckian thumbing his nose at college basketball. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 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 The software update is basically thumbing their noses at the ITC ruling. — PC Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumbing

Verb

Others rented bicycles to pedal around the 8-mile island loop, pausing to climb the stairs to Arch Rock, shop for fudge, and relax over a drink at Pink Pony before hitching the last tender back to the ship.

— Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026
Like Tubbs, Ferguson was new to the city, having only recently settled there after the better part of a year spent hitching trains with his pregnant girlfriend.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Definition of hitching

Verb

To grow the bottom line, executives are focused on both bolstering the network’s place as the cable bundle’s most valuable channel and reaching a new generation of fans who have largely swapped channel flipping with feed swiping.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Cait Conley, the Democratic candidate who is taking on Lawler in the 17th District, is pointing to rising supermarket bills as one of the reasons why voters should consider flipping the seat.

— Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of flipping

Verb

With a knee-skimming silhouette and lightweight denim fabric, the style offers the comfort of your favorite jeans with the sophisticated look of a skirt.

— Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
At the lavish ceremony, the actress donned a pale-yellow, shoulder-skimming Valentino gown gifted to her by the designer.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026