bounding 1 of 3

adjective

as in encircling

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Dissimilar Words

bounding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bound
1
as in defining
to mark the limits of the country is bounded by water on two sides

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2
as in bordering
to serve as a border for being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality

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bounding

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of bound
1
as in hopping
to move with a light springing step the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaping
to propel oneself upward or forward into the air a rabbit bounded down the garden path

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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 bounding
Verb
The sound of a teenager bounding down the stairs of our home. — John Biemer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 For now, though, the puppy who once came bounding into CBS Texas is growing up right before our eyes. — Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 East Portal Park was busy on Monday morning, with children bounding through the playground and the soft clunking of bocce balls echoing from the nearby courts. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Perhaps most importantly, the brothers had an indisputable chemistry, both in the studio and bounding around racks of equipment on stage. — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2026 At 5-foot-9, Fery possesses a skill set perfectly suited for low-bounding grass. — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 But Adams is bounding around the rooftop beaming, teeth porcelain-white, face slathered in makeup, hair firmly coiffed. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 There is no shortage of footage of Shelton from his early career, bounding after balls with the fury of a linebacker chasing down a quarterback and then sliding through them — too far through them. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026 An antelope on a ridge teasingly stares before bounding off up the rocky hill. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bounding
  1. embracing
  2. defining
  3. bordering
  4. hopping
  5. leaping
  6. surrounding
  7. bouncing
  8. jumping
Adjective
  • The saints’ days are celebrated, the great days of history are celebrated, and they’re celebrated with this sort of enormous exuberance and deep investment that is somehow very, very touching, very embracing, and very inclusive.
    — Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 2 Sep. 2025
Definition of embracing
Verb
  • The plight of immigrants is one of the defining moral issues of our time, and more and more big name musicians are following the trail Parton blazed so long ago.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • By defining other civilizations as alien cultures, a civilizationist grand strategy might fuel antagonism rather than tolerate differences.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • Death Valley is in eastern California, bordering Nevada, and is in the northern Mojave Desert.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine’s neighbors are on alert Russia’s relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of bordering
Verb
  • The likes of Dell, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo began hopping on the Wildcat Lake train fairly quickly, announcing would-be Neo competitors.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • To descend to the pitch-black floor of a crater, Chang’e-7 will deploy a novel hopping probe.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hopping
Verb
  • In the fifth inning, left fielder Sam Antonacci just missed making a leaping grab on a ball hit to the wall by Isaac Paredes.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Wolf’s Shinobi Prosthetic houses a grappling hook for scaling rooftops, leaping between trees, and approaching enemies stealthily.
    — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of leaping
Adjective
  • The system, which serves 100,000 residents in Iowa City and its surrounding, mostly rural communities, typifies the challenges most libraries face.
    — Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 18 May 2026
  • Since then, the bustling market serves the surrounding and significant Latino community and others.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Within that, the specific element of the tracking data which makes batting so tough is the inconsistency of bounce, with a large number of deliveries either spitting (bouncing excessively) or scooting (bouncing far less than anticipated).
    — Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But Dorsey’s Jesus Jimenez blocks the punt and Henry Badge picks up the bouncing ball in the end zone with no time left for a 19-14 win.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of bouncing
Verb
  • Fellow cybersecurity firm Okta also reported strong results after the bell, with shares jumping roughly 20% following a raise in guidance.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • But the president's endorsement didn't stop a number of other Republicans from jumping into the race, including Norman.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumping

Browse Nearby Words

bounders
bounding
boundless
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Cite this Entry

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

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