ping
verb
pinged; pinging; pings
1
: to make a ping
2
: to ricochet with a ping
… gravel pinging off … the car …—
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood1
: to cause to ping
ping a bell
2
: to locate (something, such as a submerged object or submarine) by detecting the reflection of a pulse of sound waves : to send out a ping (see ping entry 1 sense 3) in order to locate (something)
We will have to follow this big old boy on the surface and then try to ping him with the sonar when he dives.—Corwin Ericson
Corwin Ericson3
a
: to send a signal to (a computer) in order to determine its status or the status of the connecting network
Without realizing what he was doing, he pinged every server in a .gov domain. Next day, his ISP canceled his account; the retribution was swift and uncompromising.—Bill Machrone
Bill Machrone
b
: to send a signal to (a device, such as a cell phone) in order to determine its status or location
Howell officers warned police agencies across the state. … Police pinged the man's phone to get its location.—Andrew Ford
Andrew Ford
c
: to send a usually brief message (such as a text message) or notification to (a person, a person's phone, etc.)
… provides an opportunity to check the time or see who pinged you while you were coming down the mountain …—Wired
WiredExamples of ping in a Sentence
Pebbles pinged off the car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Credit should ping from player to player as quickly as the ball does.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
The popping and pinging of bats during two-hour sessions with Vasquez Duran and Sandoval feeding each other groundballs and trading turns touching second before rotating and throwing to first.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 2 June 2026
The ball pinging across the net from one corner to the other.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The crew switched the equipment on, pinging back X-ray-like images that revealed layers of the seafloor’s stone interior.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ping
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Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
The popping and pinging of bats during two-hour sessions with Vasquez Duran and Sandoval feeding each other groundballs and trading turns touching second before rotating and throwing to first.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 2 June 2026
The ball pinging across the net from one corner to the other.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 May 2026
The crew switched the equipment on, pinging back X-ray-like images that revealed layers of the seafloor’s stone interior.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ping
Cite this Entry
“Ping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ping. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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