bob 1 of 3

verb (1)

Definition of bobnext
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument bobbed her waist-length hair herself on her 18th birthday

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bob

2 of 3

verb (2)

ˈbäb How to pronounce bob (audio)
1
as in to pump
to make short up-and-down movements a family of ducks bobbing on the water

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2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner he playfully bobbed his brother on the nose to get his attention

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bob

3 of 3

noun

Scottish
as in bouquet
a bunch of flowers the lassie carried only a little bob on her wedding day

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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 bob
Verb
Kenzo leaned back so that his bobbing Adam’s apple was visible, and drank it down in one gulp. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Rapp and his crewmate, Suzanne Driscoll, hoisted a lobster trap marked by a bobbing buoy from the Casco Bay. — Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
After growing the pixie cut back out into a bob, the Mad Men actress showed off her hair while rocking a lacy blue co-ord set in selfies posted to Instagram in March. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026 In front, Palo Alto 30-somethings bob in the waves on their surfboards, cheered on by their WASPy spouses clad in linen tunics, who keep half an eye on their salty-haired offspring hunting for seashells on the beach. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bob
  1. shave
  2. pump
  3. hit
  4. bouquet
  5. cut
  6. shake
  7. bang
  8. trim
Verb
  • Centering consumer protection In 2020, a ghost candidate scheme that helped unseat Rodriguez relied on paying candidates to run who had no plans to win but could shave votes from Democratic candidates.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • At 25, England cricketer Chris Lewis experienced an even more direct consequence after team-mate Devon Malcolm shaved his head during England’s 1994 West Indies tour to raise money for Children in Need.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shave
Verb
  • Slowing down pumping velocities prevents dangerous suction vortices from forming near the ceiling intake.
    — Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But smart TVs also had a logical, consumer-friendly purpose before the industry started pumping them with ads.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pump
Verb
  • Dramatic footage shows a torrent of water hitting at the Nepal-China border.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Parton earned dozens of top 10 country hits, and her professional ambitions grew along with her career.
    — Jewly Hight, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • The brickmaker posted a 21% revenue bump for the first half of the year, boosted once again by its now-stalwart lines like botanical bouquets, Formula 1 race cars and collectible sets.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Even if there’s still some snow around it, my husband always brings me a bouquet.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of bouquet
Verb
  • The threat of shortages pushed countries across Asia to impose export bans, cut import duties, and start rationing fuel to maintain supplies.
    — Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike the heavy smoky eyes and cut creases of the 2010s, this trend is throwing it back to the 1990s when smoky eyes were more minimalist.
    — Elle Turner, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut
Verb
  • Beck didn’t participate in the book, but Riesman finds enough friends, family and associates to assemble a complex portrait of an artist who wants his audiences to see him as fashion-forward but has had a hard time shaking his past.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Thunderous applause may greet one documentary premiering at the Venice Film Festival, fitting for a story of athletes who shake the earth with every footfall.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Support for Infantino Eto’o is not the only person banging the drum for Infantino in what’s become an increasingly fractured landscape.
    — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • On Sunday, residents of Jaimanitas, a neighborhood in the capital, took to the streets banging pots and pans to protest after 25 hours without electricity.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bang
Verb
  • Consequently, markets have already trimmed their Fed rate hike expectations.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Drapery panels in Jim Thompson’s Choisya, trimmed in Samuel & Sons, frame the couple’s vintage breakfront, which keeps Khouri’s Royal Crown Derby china within reach.
    — Caroline Randall Williams, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of trim

Browse Nearby Words

boats
bob
bobbed
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Cite this Entry

“Bob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bob. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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