as in extremely
to a great degree
wrote several thumping big books on World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pounding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in slapping
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
thumped the desk with his hand as he delivered his speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
playfully knocked his younger brother down and began to thump him with a foam bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thumping
Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Through this lens, Slater’s downfall at DOJ is less an ideological thumping than a mundane drama of personality and personnel fights.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Then the dam broke didn't celebrate after their thumping of Canada ended their preliminary round undefeated.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Six different players scored in a 7-0 thumping of a surging Needham group — with three goals coming from the third line.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
My nights were filled with the thumping of someone else’s dirty clothes and the feeling of something skittering across my leg.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Florida went on an 11-point run in the first half, just for UConn to end the half on a 28-14 thumping.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
The Bulldogs have shut them out six times during that streak, including last year’s 43-0 thumping.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
The result was a 9-1 thumping by the Hurricanes that started the Panthers’ 6-11-0 spiral that dropped them from playoff contention and also triggered Carolina’s 12-game point streak that vaulted the team to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
The cheering and thumping rolled like thunder when Arizona’s first 3-pointer, a shot by Brayden Burries, went in.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
In stark contrast to thumping beach towns near Cancún and the transporting desert landscape of Los Cabos, Mandarina has no single orienting principle.
—Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2026
Evelyn Shores scored in the 53rd minute, thumping home a header from Fuller on a corner kick.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
For a break from packed pools thumping with clubby beats, there’s a thermal spa with a Finnish sauna and snow room, plus the exclusive MSC Yacht Club, which offers 24-hour butler service, private dining, and a secluded sundeck.
—Ashlea Halpern, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
There are some of the director’s characteristic flourishes along the way, and the tone is set early; thumping Kasabian track ‘Days Are Forgotten’ plays in the opening credits, leading into a prison-yard fight moments into the first episode.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Saturday's thumping by UCLA, in which the Bruins led 4-0 after the first inning and 6-1 after the second, was a bit alarming.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
His preferred genre was hardstyle—frantic thumping remixes of pop songs by the likes of Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Through this lens, Slater’s downfall at DOJ is less an ideological thumping than a mundane drama of personality and personnel fights.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Then the dam broke didn't celebrate after their thumping of Canada ended their preliminary round undefeated.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Six different players scored in a 7-0 thumping of a surging Needham group — with three goals coming from the third line.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
My nights were filled with the thumping of someone else’s dirty clothes and the feeling of something skittering across my leg.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Florida went on an 11-point run in the first half, just for UConn to end the half on a 28-14 thumping.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
The Bulldogs have shut them out six times during that streak, including last year’s 43-0 thumping.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
These headphones are Hi-Res certified, with highly flexible silk diaphragms that extend up to 40kHz for exceptional treble clarity and thumping bass.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
The result was a 9-1 thumping by the Hurricanes that started the Panthers’ 6-11-0 spiral that dropped them from playoff contention and also triggered Carolina’s 12-game point streak that vaulted the team to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
The cheering and thumping rolled like thunder when Arizona’s first 3-pointer, a shot by Brayden Burries, went in.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
In stark contrast to thumping beach towns near Cancún and the transporting desert landscape of Los Cabos, Mandarina has no single orienting principle.
—Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2026
Evelyn Shores scored in the 53rd minute, thumping home a header from Fuller on a corner kick.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
For a break from packed pools thumping with clubby beats, there’s a thermal spa with a Finnish sauna and snow room, plus the exclusive MSC Yacht Club, which offers 24-hour butler service, private dining, and a secluded sundeck.
—Ashlea Halpern, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
There are some of the director’s characteristic flourishes along the way, and the tone is set early; thumping Kasabian track ‘Days Are Forgotten’ plays in the opening credits, leading into a prison-yard fight moments into the first episode.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Saturday's thumping by UCLA, in which the Bruins led 4-0 after the first inning and 6-1 after the second, was a bit alarming.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumping
Adverb
-
Even if well-intentioned, this kind of unsolicited feedback can be extremely frustrating and even hurtful.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
After the family moved to America, Crockett was diagnosed with the extremely rare syndactyly-telecanthus-anogenital and renal malformations syndrome, or STAR syndrome, which impacts different parts of the body.—
Megan Vaz,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians.—
Serra Yedikardes,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That means going beyond slapping a flag on packaging in November.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Mirković took a straight line toward Wagler, slapping his hand and then bringing him in for a long hug — two freshmen raised 5,000 miles apart who came together to help the Illini reach their first Final Four since 2005.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
There are double lotteries and protections that would put a safety net beneath the very worst teams.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For activities lasting longer than 1-2 hours, or in very hot environments, sports drinks can help replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes, but be mindful of sugar content.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But because this is a derby, we’re supposed to believe this latest thrashing is a statement.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Death on the battlefield being a walk in the park next to a thrashing in a smithy by his savage blacksmith father.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During that time, the moon will appear mostly dark, which will give the astronauts a chance to look for flashes of light from rocky objects smacking into the moon or to observe planets and other celestial bodies.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Other incidents over the years have seen fans grab at Nikki Bella or actually smacking Alex Bliss on the backside as Nia Jax was carrying her over her shoulder from a previous segment.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After lashing out at Morgan for suggesting that Lucia was a suspect, Karadec shows up at Morgan’s front door to apologize, leading to a tearful heart-to-heart between the partners.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The president of a labor union representing Transportation Security Administration employees is lashing out at lawmakers, telling them not to leave Washington, DC, for Easter recess before passing a deal to pay its agents amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumping. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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