1
as in swelling
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
that's a nasty bump on your arm where you hit the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
I felt the bump of the other car, but there was no damage to either vehicle
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to bang
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bump
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025
Already, there's evidence that the previous wage bump in Nevada, which took effect in January 2024, has reduced turnover.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2025
The tour had long been on his to-do list, but a recent visit to a Wikipedia page bumped it up higher.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bump
Noun
Sores, Bumps, or Lesions: Any unexpected sores, bumps, or blisters on or around your genitals, mouth or rectum could be a sign of an STD like herpes or syphilis.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2025
Already, there's evidence that the previous wage bump in Nevada, which took effect in January 2024, has reduced turnover.
—Andrea Hsu, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
Trouble is, the two sides remain worlds apart on a new agreement, as Comcast aims to bump YES up to a pricier digital tier, while the network hopes to forestall an immediate shift.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2025
The tour had long been on his to-do list, but a recent visit to a Wikipedia page bumped it up higher.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bump
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bump
Noun
-
See a healthcare provider if lymph node swelling persists, is painful, or occurs with symptoms like fever or unexplained weight loss.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The swelling in the area never subsided, prompting surgery to clean up bone spurs that had traveled dangerously close to his Achilles tendon.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The chances of the asteroid’s collision then continued to fluctuate in the weeks following.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The asteroid is now logged as a harmless 0, meaning there’s no likelihood of a collision.—
Amanda Kooser,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Current world championship leader Lando Norris has typically celebrated his podiums by banging the base of the bottle on the step of the podium, causing the champagne to shoot upward into the sky.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The real world is where a middle-aged law-firm associate just banged the hotel bandit.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The appearance of lumps, wart-like growths, or open sores that don't heal within a few weeks is also a significant sign.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
-
However, during a physical provided by the WTA, the governing body of women’s tennis, the following year, another doctor encouraged Dabrowski to get the lump scanned.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ken Russell, who is also running for mayor, was one of the two remaining commissioners to vote against his firing.—
Tess Riski,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The two decisions represent a significant setback for the states, the unions and the civic organizations that had sued the government in an effort to block the summary firings of more than 24,000 federal workers.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Rami Sinno is crouched beside a filing cabinet, wrestling a beach-ball sized disc out of a box, when a dull thump echoes around his laboratory.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Then the silence was broken by the loud thump of Olive’s .38/40.—
Horace R. Hinkley,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Zoom in: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is dealing with three GOP factions that are colliding over the Trump budget bill.—
Hans Nichols,
Axios,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The airport has faced scrutiny after an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The motorist had multiple fractured ribs and bruises.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
-
During spring training, it was learned that Smith played with a deep bone bruise in his right ankle for much of the 2024 season.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bump. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share