as in banging
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
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Recent Examples of bumping
Drivers trading paint started early as there was bumping coming down the front stretch to take the green flag before Lap 1.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The Knicks downgraded Josh Hart to questionable with a left thumb sprain on Thursday before bumping him up to probable ahead of tipoff for Game 3 on Friday.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
The layoffs are permanent, the company said, workers are not part of a union and do not have bumping rights, the company said.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2026
The new baby is expected to enter the succession fifteenth in line to the throne, bumping those behind them back a spot.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
People start bumping into things and take up space differently.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Gulutzan shook things up in the middle of Game 4, bumping Thomas Harley up to the top pairing alongside Heiskanen.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Here, the layers of the thin-film stack in the material are precisely measured so that unwanted reflections – which would normally waste energy – are cancelled out by the light waves bumping into each other, leaving more energy for the panel to collect.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The Knicks downgraded Josh Hart to questionable with a left thumb sprain on Thursday before bumping him up to probable ahead of tipoff for Game 3 on Friday.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
The layoffs are permanent, the company said, workers are not part of a union and do not have bumping rights, the company said.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 8 May 2026
The new baby is expected to enter the succession fifteenth in line to the throne, bumping those behind them back a spot.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
People start bumping into things and take up space differently.
—Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Gulutzan shook things up in the middle of Game 4, bumping Thomas Harley up to the top pairing alongside Heiskanen.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Here, the layers of the thin-film stack in the material are precisely measured so that unwanted reflections – which would normally waste energy – are cancelled out by the light waves bumping into each other, leaving more energy for the panel to collect.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
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Howden doubled the lead with a shorthanded goal 7½ minutes later, finding miles of space just to the right of the goal and banging in a pass from Marner that split LaCombe and Alex Killorn.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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On Wednesday evening, Associated Press journalists saw residents in numerous neighborhoods banging pots and pans and setting fire to trash cans to protest the blackouts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Why Workers Are Returning Several years later, however, many of those expectations are colliding with economic strain.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Why Longevity Clinics Matter Now The boom is colliding with a broader cultural moment around aging, prevention and biohacking.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Household items, including an air-conditioner, shot outward, slamming into the building across the narrow street.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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The president was deeply involved in the contest, repeatedly slamming Massie in social media posts and public comments leading up the May 19 primary election.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
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Dwight reached out and squeezed my upper arm, pulling me into a bear hug, smashing my face against the rough canvas of his jacket, his gloved hand on my ass pulling me closer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Those who have ridden it before know Smugglers Run has always been responsive, perhaps too much so as inexperienced gamers could spend the entire attraction crashing the ship.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
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To pass, Spectra had to run highly complex nuclear stockpile and molecular physics simulations without crashing, dragging, or fracturing code.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Video posted online by Kol Haolam News shows the Honda backing up and then driving into the pair of double doors, knocking one door off its hinges.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
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The puck had just slipped through Poehling’s skates when McNabb crunched Poehling into the boards, knocking him out for the rest of the game and prompting an official review.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Among other allegations, Betty Broderick was suspected of conducting a longtime vendetta against the couple, including ramming her car into the two-story brick home on Cypress Avenue.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree, stabbing, shooting and ramming people with a vehicle in Isla Vista, California, killing six people and injuring more than a dozen before dying by suicide.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Kay, meanwhile, rebounded after a first inning filled with traffic — two singles and hitting a batter with a pitch — to top his previous career high of 5 2/3 innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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As Kelsey Luderer rounded third base and headed home Thursday after hitting a game-tying home run that ignited Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 Division 1 softball playoff win over Anaheim Canyon, she was greeted by every teammate at the plate.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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