heaves 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of heave
1
as in hoists
to lift with effort I heaved my duffel bag into the bus's overhead compartment

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2
as in vomits
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth heaved as soon as he stepped off the roller coaster

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3
4
5
as in gasps
to breathe hard, quickly, or with difficulty by the time he reached the top step of the tower, he was heaving

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heaves

2 of 2

noun

plural of heave

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of heaves
Verb
In another video, an emergency worker heaves a large stone aside while working to free people from the wreckage. Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 25 June 2026 Moscow’s next move, as its skyline heaves with sooty smoke, must be to find a way to accept its weakness, and accommodate it, while not projecting anything other than strength. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 June 2026 And so, in the constant tug-of-war between tradition and innovation, the latest design heaves toward history, meeting the future’s infrastructure needs in comfortingly familiar costume. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026 Some nights the crowd heaves outside Mắm and the feeling is catch as catch can, diners hunched on low plastic stools eating off only slightly taller plastic tables, on the sidewalk and in the street, even spilling over to a nearby empty storefront. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026 When a degraded grassland returns to health, the ground heaves up, as if inhaling with relief. Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 If the plane heaves up, the spoilers can press it back down. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 Cover Exposed Roots Sometimes heavy ice and snow heaves newer plants out of the ground. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026 Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point. Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heaves
Verb
  • Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines hoists the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63.
    Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 22 June 2026
  • Another 103 matches – including six in Santa Clara – will be played until one of the 48 countries hoists the iconic gold trophy on July 19 in New Jersey.
    Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • Shows were led by a sentient wad of meat, a talk-show host who vomits in front of guests, and a reality-TV star who never shows his face.
    Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Absinthe-eyed, she projectile-vomits blunt observations and also oysters onto the heavies, overimbibing her way into her own grave once she’s inevitably discarded with a shot and shove down a stairwell (a barely-there John Magaro plays one of the gangsters).
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • According to the orders placing the counties under quarantine, the quarantine will remain in effect until the commission lifts it.
    Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 29 June 2026
  • This lifts the hull out of the water, reducing hydrodynamic drag and minimizing wake generation.
    David Szondy June 27, New Atlas, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Brennan, though, throws the first wrench into the works by instead trying to establish his credibility.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
  • To the community whose history has been scrubbed from public view even as the nation throws itself a party in the name of freedom?
    Otis Moss III, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • At this, the paddock gasps in unison.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
  • Another video shows Wallen walking back towards the piano, as the audience gasps and cheers in response.
    Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • His sister administered back thrusts and, eventually, an abdominal thrust formerly called the Heimlich maneuver.
    Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Whether your 9-to-5 job involves a rare combination of manual record keeping and precarious wilderness travel, or your idea of outdoor recreation includes journaling your day while remaining at the ready for whatever nature hurls at you, the all-new Pen-metheus equips you for it all.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 June 2026
  • Even when the wacky Halifax weather hurls the wildest of curveballs at the SailGP fleet, somehow Tom Slingsby and the irrepressible Australians ride their magic carpet of consummate skill and a decent dose of luck to lead the standings after the first day of the Canada Sail Grand Prix.
    Andrew Rice, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • At present, the union is pushing for 11% raises each year for three years — a proposal that the CSU has not yet responded to.
    Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • This close work between the private entity – usually Google – and law enforcement throughout the geofence warrant process raises significant privacy and civil liberties concerns.
    Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation, 30 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Heaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heaves. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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