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
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, both Duff and Koma have moved on from the thumping theatrics of the mid-2010s.
—Olivia Horn, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The tradition of wooden-clog making, or thumping nightlife?
—Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
While Olympians in Milan walked into a packed stadium with flashing lights and thumping techno music played by a DJ at a turntable that looked like ice, the mountain ceremonies took place through the streets.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Cats sometimes seek shelter under or inside cars, so Hill’s Pet Nutrition recommends getting into the habit of thumping the hood and making noise before starting your vehicle to give any hiding cats a chance to move.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
With his back to goal, the Brazilian brought the ball under control with the outside of his boot to wheel out into space before thumping home with his left foot.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The storm was expected to begin Friday in New Mexico and Texas, with the worst weather moving east into the Deep South before heading up the coast and thumping New England with snow.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 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
The Eagles won their first-ever CIF Open Division state championship in December by thumping defeating De La Salle 47–13.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Thankfully, both Duff and Koma have moved on from the thumping theatrics of the mid-2010s.
—Olivia Horn, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
The tradition of wooden-clog making, or thumping nightlife?
—Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
While Olympians in Milan walked into a packed stadium with flashing lights and thumping techno music played by a DJ at a turntable that looked like ice, the mountain ceremonies took place through the streets.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Cats sometimes seek shelter under or inside cars, so Hill’s Pet Nutrition recommends getting into the habit of thumping the hood and making noise before starting your vehicle to give any hiding cats a chance to move.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
With his back to goal, the Brazilian brought the ball under control with the outside of his boot to wheel out into space before thumping home with his left foot.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The storm was expected to begin Friday in New Mexico and Texas, with the worst weather moving east into the Deep South before heading up the coast and thumping New England with snow.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumping
Adverb
-
Today any surface that has a coating, any device that uses stacks of extremely thin films — television screens, cell phone screens and the microchips inside — can be traced back to Katharine, repeatedly dipping a metal plate in a trough of water.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Wlazlo is extremely driven and results-oriented, Tessaro said.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All around the Tivoli quarries, the air is heavy with the stench of sulfur and the constant pounding, clinking and cracking of giant jackhammers blasting ancient rock into pieces.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
This section of shoreline is lined with cliffs, below which are sea caves, formed over centuries by the relentless pounding of Lake Superior waves.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Outside,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ultimately, in Europe, giving the green light will be up to the EU’s antitrust chief, Teresa Ribeira, who has been slapping hefty fines lately on Google and Elon Musk’s X for breaching European Union rules.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Vacuum The Cushions For dusty sofas, start by taking the cushions outside and slapping them to release debris and dust.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Son disappeared from public view, licking his wounds while also plotting his comeback.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Messi’s complaints were wafer-thin after a 3-0 licking by LAFC, but that didn’t stop him from venting hard in this video captured by a Mexican journalist after the final whistle.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Tel Aviv, Israel — Undermining this moment of relief for many repressed Iranians is that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a perilously simple fix to a very complex problem.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The Innova 5610 is very capable and has decent price.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stevenson played his best game in the Pats’ regular-season finale, a 38-10 thrashing of Miami.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And, the 56-22 CFP semifinal Peach Bowl thrashing of Oregon began with Ponds’ interception return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shepard attached the head of a 6-iron golf club to his sample collecting tool and was recorded smacking a couple golf balls across the lunar landscape.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas extorted him for the money using physical violence – knocking out his teeth, injured his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.—
Sydney Pereira,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In recent days, the president has remained defiant on the issue, lashing out at the justices for delivering a legal setback on his tariffs, and looking to impose new global tariffs in a different way.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
This could be because the leader themselves is emotionally reactive and people are just parroting what is modeled, or because there are no ground rules for conversations and no consequences given for lashing out.—
Blair Glaser,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumping. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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