1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trotting
to proceed or move quickly
the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of humping
Another ewok then proceeded to moonwalk on the Today plaza before grabbing Roker’s leg and humping it.
—
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
That territory has a bounty of middle-age men humping stools and occasionally noticing that death eventually comes for us all.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Compounding the cacophony is a Jonny Greenwood score that veers between manic percolation—imagine a xylophone humping a coffeepot—and grandly operatic surges of synth.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
No more humping every female dog anymore.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Iain Stirling narrates the daily dramas of Peacock’s reality hit, cranking out reliably hilarious commentary about contestants’ back tattoos, dry-humping challenges and mosquitoes that interrupt intimate moments.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
That territory has a bounty of middle-age men humping stools and occasionally noticing that death eventually comes for us all.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Compounding the cacophony is a Jonny Greenwood score that veers between manic percolation—imagine a xylophone humping a coffeepot—and grandly operatic surges of synth.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
No more humping every female dog anymore.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Iain Stirling narrates the daily dramas of Peacock’s reality hit, cranking out reliably hilarious commentary about contestants’ back tattoos, dry-humping challenges and mosquitoes that interrupt intimate moments.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humping
Verb
-
The son of a medical-gas plumber who worked night shifts, Darnold just kept laboring at his craft.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In the summer of 2024, UNICEF’s representative in Congo suggested that 361,000 children might be laboring in mines in southern Congo, though this number seems implausibly high and drew quick opprobrium from Congolese NGOs that work on the issue.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Coyotes were seen trotting across the frozen Charles River yesterday.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
3 Feb. 2026
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The area is so nationally notorious that the Border Patrol chose it to stage an invasion here in July, complete with a literal cavalry of agents trotting down a soccer field where kids usually play while National Guard troops sat inside armored Humvees on Wilshire Boulevard.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bear, struggling with drug addiction, had no one urging her to fight the state’s case.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
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He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wasserman has previously admitted to flying with Epstein on the financier’s private plane on a trip to Africa with Maxwell and former President Clinton.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Winter Olympic athletes, particularly those who compete in events that involve flying down a mountain or icy track at breakneck speeds, are not exactly known for self-preservation instincts.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are filmmakers in Hollywood now, working under the same conditions — bloody conflict abroad, corruption in politics, monolithic mainstream entertainment — and striving for a similar freedom.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Learning a new skill is key to staying relevant in what Jake confirmed is the rapidly evolving K-pop universe, one that is quick to react to trends and changes as the industry cranks out a steady stream of new acts, each striving to carve a unique lane to break through to global audiences.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Erik Duran, 38, was found guilty in the August 2023 death of Eric Duprey, who was speeding away from undercover police along a sidewalk in the Bronx after allegedly being busted for selling them $20 worth of cocaine, trial testimony revealed, the New York Post reported.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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The discussion included the city’s restoration of utilities in record time, the simplification and speeding up of permitting, and the active construction of nearly 500 homes in the city, Bass said.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The launcher carries six 300 mm rockets and is operated by a small crew working from within an armored cabin designed to protect against shrapnel and small-arms fire, according to reports.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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The bold plan did not pan out, and NASA is currently working to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028 — the timeframe the agency had been working toward in the Obama era.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The arrest report also stated that Ramirez-Mesa was driving at least twice the speed limit, which was 40 miles per hour.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Cops quickly determined the 42-year-old suspect was drunk behind the wheel and charged him with driving while intoxicated.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humping. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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