tub-thumper

noun

ˈtəb-ˌthəm-pər How to pronounce tub-thumper (audio)
Definition of tub-thumpernext
as in proponent
a person who actively supports or favors a cause changes that came about only because of the relentless clamor of the group's tub-thumpers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tub-thumper
  1. proponent
  2. supporter
  3. advocate
  4. advocator
  5. exponent
Noun
  • On Monday, the act gained its highest-profile proponent yet when New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his support for the legislation.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Andrew Sweetman, the Scottish marine biogeochemist who led the work, hadn’t made such claims, but he was still pilloried by fellow-scientists, and proponents of mining accused him of being an anti-mining crusader.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of proponent
Noun
  • Russia, along with China, is a major supporter and arms supplier to Myanmar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • It was drafted with tenant input and by a diverse coalition of community supporters.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporter
Noun
  • Some of us assist in delivery rooms, some of us administer medications, some of us advocate for our patients to insurance companies to make sure lifesaving is covered.
    — Nancy Hagans, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Banks, the first saxophonist to receive the prestigious Avery Fisher Award, is a tireless advocate for his instrument in the classical world.
    — Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocate
Noun
  • In the leadership and care phase, your role is that of an advocator.
    — Rodney C. Adkins, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Definition of advocator
Noun
  • His mind didn’t go blank; rather, all the what-ifs multiplied like exponents, crowding his thoughts and rendering him unable to envision anything else.
    — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • Often categorized along with Bellow and Bernard Malamud as exponents of a particularly Jewish-American sensibility, all three were additionally masters of the American voice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 June 2026
Definition of exponent
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tub-thumped
tub-thumper
tub-thumpers
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Tub-thumper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tub-thumper. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All