1
2
as in interrogates
to put a series of questions to
prying neighbors pumped the guileless child for information about the family's new pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in drains
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
pumped water from the well
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pumps
The two-stroke engine pumps about 90-110 decibels, 30 decibels above safe levels.
—
Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
During warmups, Celebrini pumps his fist in victory after playing rock-paper-scissors with kids along the glass.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Porter said he was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which, according to Mayo Clinic, pumps blood outside of the body to a heart-lung machine, removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Zendaya's take, paired with that of her stylist Law Roach's vision, ensured the outfit was kept classic by pairing it with her longtime go-to shoe, the So Kate pumps from Christian Louboutin.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Accessories, again, were pared back—silvery dotted Manolo Blahnik pumps (again sourced by Lili Aghaei of The Vintage Marché), and long drop diamond earrings by Chopard.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2026
The skirt’s midi length place the spotlight on the shoes, which were the Jude Fame pumps in black patent leather.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
The pipe carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from near Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia to a station that pumps it to an advanced wastewater treatment plant.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
Chris Hildreth, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
During warmups, Celebrini pumps his fist in victory after playing rock-paper-scissors with kids along the glass.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Porter said he was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which, according to Mayo Clinic, pumps blood outside of the body to a heart-lung machine, removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Zendaya's take, paired with that of her stylist Law Roach's vision, ensured the outfit was kept classic by pairing it with her longtime go-to shoe, the So Kate pumps from Christian Louboutin.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 12 Mar. 2026
This tour features the accustomed three blue-skinned performers (drawn from the dozens of actors/musicians who’ve been trained to do the various shows) plus another character, The Rock Star, a female multi-instrumentalists who pumps the soundtrack for the Blue Men’s alien antics.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Accessories, again, were pared back—silvery dotted Manolo Blahnik pumps (again sourced by Lili Aghaei of The Vintage Marché), and long drop diamond earrings by Chopard.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2026
The skirt’s midi length place the spotlight on the shoes, which were the Jude Fame pumps in black patent leather.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 2026
The pipe carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater daily from near Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia to a station that pumps it to an advanced wastewater treatment plant.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pumps
Verb
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Her head bobs gently, then sharply tilts at specific moments, particularly when certain words cut through the stream of conversation.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Just after lunchtime on a Saturday in November, a sea of purple braids bobs in unison, barely clearing the tops of the movie-theater seats behind them.—
Eliza Berman,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Longtime Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos and his daughter Paola Ramos — a journalist whose latest book interrogates the rise of the Latino far right — are moderating the conversation at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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Ian Cheney’s brisk but sprawling doc interrogates the origins of the dish, who invented it, how it got popularized, and the eponymous 19th-century military leader who may (or may not) have inspired it.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Track where sunlight falls throughout the day, note where wind picks up and confirm that water drains away from the area.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
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In the process, the capsule shakes pretty aggressively.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The film examines the challenges that Corbell has faced in his efforts to bring a spotlight to his findings.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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The show examines the environmental and human cost of the atomic era through an artistic lens, tracing present day nuclear risk back to its Cold War roots.—
Chloe Shrager,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Constantly landing on jokes — like in its portrayal of Lockjaw and his efforts to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a powerful white-supremacists faction — siphons a sense of urgency from the film’s sketches of American unrest and white male violence.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
24 Nov. 2025
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The filing comes days after Spotify was accused in another class action lawsuit of permitting massive amounts of streaming fraud on its platform, which siphons royalties from artists whose numbers aren’t artificially inflated.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) questions their sisterhood, they’re forced to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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Family questions police response Sye's other sister told CBS New Baltimore that the officers were too aggressive in their response.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pumps. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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