as in pulses
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
I seemed to feel anew the pain of her death with each throb of my heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in vibrates
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the car's stereo speakers throbbing with the song's bass line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of throbs
Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
While the game is played across the country, its pulse throbs in Rio.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 28 Dec. 2025
Portugal’s coastline throbs with beach goers and sports enthusiasts.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There is expansive Zhong, with 360-degree views of the valley; forbidding Lubra, a tiny riverside hamlet ringed by cliffs; and fortress-like Kagbeni, home to a gompa founded by the 15th-century scholar Tenpai Gyaltsen, which throbs with the sound of the Kali Gandaki.
—Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 July 2024
Verb
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 6 Jan. 2026
While the game is played across the country, its pulse throbs in Rio.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 28 Dec. 2025
Portugal’s coastline throbs with beach goers and sports enthusiasts.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
There is expansive Zhong, with 360-degree views of the valley; forbidding Lubra, a tiny riverside hamlet ringed by cliffs; and fortress-like Kagbeni, home to a gompa founded by the 15th-century scholar Tenpai Gyaltsen, which throbs with the sound of the Kali Gandaki.
—Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for throbs
Noun
-
Leads, essentially wires, run from the device into the heart, sending one-volt pulses of electricity to regulate the heart’s beating.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Then the fact that the more distant radio wave pulses aligned with gamma-ray blasts from these pulsars detected by NASA's Fermi Space Telescope indicated to the team that both types of electromagnetic radiation were being emitted from the same non-polar and distant regions around these pulsars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Basically, how fast a sound source vibrates.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
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There's real grit underneath the shag haircut and thigh-high boots, though; see the discotheque scene, where her entire body vibrates with a desperate mix of hope, terror, and determination.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Enraged, Misha's boyfriend barrels across the room and beats Charlie up, and Emma flees the banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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But nothing beats their monthly visits to the High Museum of Art in Midtown Atlanta.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Framed by verdant mountains and hills, the best things to do in Taipei make up a city that pulsates with energy; from the lively sizzle of night markets to the scenic hiking trails of Elephant Mountain.—
Kaila Yu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Throbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/throbs. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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