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
-
Only 11% of respondents were extremely comfortable using AI, whereas 25% were not comfortable at all using the technology.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
-
These mid-rise jeans are extremely soft, crafted from 98 percent cotton.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
16 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
-
But there’s more to at-home extensions than slapping them on the crown of your head and heading out the door.—
Hunter Lacey,
Allure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That means going beyond slapping a flag on packaging in November.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
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
-
Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Over time, my relationship with my wife has become very difficult.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His only Champions League goal arrived in January’s 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag, and his only assists in the competition came in similarly comfortable wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Galatasaray.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Wild video captured the moment a young fisherman plunged into pounding Southern California surf to wrestle a thrashing shark and free it from his fishing line.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Berfield — who played Reese, Dewey's older brother — watches the tween get picked on by a group of bullies before turning and smacking them with his bag.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
During the eclipse, as the moon was cloaked in darkness, the crew members spotted flashes of light from meteoroids smacking into the lunar surface.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Things are not going well at the moment, so the president is lashing out.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumping. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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