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
Then Buttered Popcorn dethroned it in 1998, bumping the cherry classic from its perch.
—
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The coaching staff and team members all jumped around on the sideline in celebration, with players chest bumping Mullins, and coach Dan Hurley had an interaction with a referee that went viral and brought backlash.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
If bees begin circling or bumping into someone, that can signal agitation.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Burries was high-fiving and chest-bumping teammates during each timeout.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Images and videos shared on social media show robots from various brands getting lost, bumping into things, and struggling to cross streets.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
The site is a non-union location and there are no bumping rights.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2026
In a new Instagram post shared over the weekend, the athlete is seen performing six unassisted pull-ups before lowering herself onto a step stool, returning to her crutches and fist-bumping her trainer to celebrate the milestone.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Gampel Pavilion exploded, and after Syracuse called a timeout, the entire UConn bench flooded onto the court, screaming and chest-bumping the freshman.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The coaching staff and team members all jumped around on the sideline in celebration, with players chest bumping Mullins, and coach Dan Hurley had an interaction with a referee that went viral and brought backlash.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
If bees begin circling or bumping into someone, that can signal agitation.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Burries was high-fiving and chest-bumping teammates during each timeout.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Images and videos shared on social media show robots from various brands getting lost, bumping into things, and struggling to cross streets.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
The site is a non-union location and there are no bumping rights.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Mar. 2026
In a new Instagram post shared over the weekend, the athlete is seen performing six unassisted pull-ups before lowering herself onto a step stool, returning to her crutches and fist-bumping her trainer to celebrate the milestone.
—Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Gampel Pavilion exploded, and after Syracuse called a timeout, the entire UConn bench flooded onto the court, screaming and chest-bumping the freshman.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumping
Verb
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The oil shortage has also affected public services and food transportation, prompting rare protests in some cities, with citizens banging pots and pans and lighting bonfires in the darkness.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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Many of us at City Hall also have been banging our heads against the wall about it, but the situation is more grim than most Chicagoans realize.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Once stationary, turn off all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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Dash cam video showed the bus initially colliding with the dump truck.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Maces, which were little more than rocks mounted on sticks, had questionable value as hunting tools, but they were superbly suited for smashing the bones and skulls of other humans.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Charging forward, Tuanzebe met the ball as its arc fell just in front of the goal, smashing it for a 1-0 lead.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In this image taken from video provided by the Aker Qrill Company shows an activist ship, operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, crashing into the Antarctic Sea, a vessel operated by Aker Qrill Company, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Antarctica.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Tiger Woods failed field sobriety tests after crashing into another vehicle last week, and had bloodshot eyes and two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit released Tuesday.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those of us not actually knocking hung back in the stairwell; even so, some residents were hesitant to engage.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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In the fall, residents learn about the process through public service announcements, local media, door-knocking outreach or word of mouth.—
Celina Su,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Watson founded the global Sea Shepherd conservation movement in the 1970s and for decades won a fearsome reputation for ramming vessels and other aggressive tactics in confrontations on the high seas that repeatedly landed him in jail.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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During the attack, the suspect ultimately exchanged gunfire with synagogue security and ignited the explosives inside his vehicle after ramming into the temple doors at a high speed.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gerhardt Konig hoped Thursday to persuade a Hawaiian jury that hitting his wife repeatedly with a rock was self-defense.—
April 2,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The film also was shown at a number of other festivals before hitting the awards circuit as the Palestinian entry for this year’s Academy Awards.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumping. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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