POUNDING Synonyms: 278 Similar and Opposite Words

pounding 1 of 2

noun

as in hammering

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pounding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pound

as in shuffling

to move heavily or clumsily pounding down the road as fast as he could run

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in banging

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner pounding nails into boards all day long

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as in licking

to strike repeatedly during the storm the waves furiously pounded the beach

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as in drawing

to shape with a hammer pounding out a depression in the metal

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as in grinding

to reduce to fine particles the tablet may be pounded and mixed in with the animal's food

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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 pounding

Noun

Rucking targets both at once without the joint pounding of running or the recovery debt of hard gym sessions. — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026 Rutted migration routes, carved by the constant pounding of animal hooves, littered northern Pennsylvania. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 But perhaps the constant pounding was just too much for the pier, built in 1973. — John Ramos, CBS News, 7 June 2026 Most of those killed died during the second pounding. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026 Another popular belief is that the pounding of the raindrops on the ground mimics the sound of moles hunting for food, and the worms flee to escape being on the mole’s menu. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2026 Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago has killed thousands of civilians. — Serra Yedikardes, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026 However, while chemically the same, beach sand is made up of tiny crystals of quartz that have been pulverized by geological weathering and the pounding of ocean waves. — John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 This section of shoreline is lined with cliffs, below which are sea caves, formed over centuries by the relentless pounding of Lake Superior waves. — Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026

Verb

When your pounding headache is the result of alcohol (or a stomach virus), a pain reliever alone will not fix the problem. — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Sarajevans still remember his commands to the Serb gunmen pounding the Bosnian capital in early 1992. — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Keeping a potty close by will give little ones a better chance of reaching it on time when nature has given up on calling and is pounding down the door. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Jay Lucarelli, 31, sat with his MacBook at the kitchen table in his mother’s home in Jackson Township, Ohio, pounding fastballs and energy drinks. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Then, in the meditation hall, our cheery host suddenly turned serious and began pounding on a 350-year-old drum from a samurai castle used for marking the beginning of chores. — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026 The two women performing a song flee to safety as Montes reaches the bimah, spins around and marches back down the aisle, this time escorted from behind by a security guard, while furiously pounding the air with his fist and ranting. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 Even the region's major interstate highway, I-70, was partly shut down after a section of it buckled under the weight of pounding rain. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The group has been weakened after its 2023 attacks on Israel that resulted in a military pounding by the Jewish state on the group’s positions in southern Lebanon. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pounding

Noun

This song features a kick drum throughout, and the boosted bass takes it from background timekeeping to foreground hammering.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
The Middle East faces chaotic power shifts as Iran, despite taking a hammering, refuses to back down, though its regional influence is expected to wane.

— Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of hammering

Verb

Summary The Chicago Cubs are currently shuffling their infield due to Dansby Swanson's oblique injury, moving Nico Hoerner to shortstop and Pedro Ramírez to second base.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Keeping your eye on Bredeson is as hard as tracking a ball beneath shuffling cups.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of shuffling

Verb

One act featured two young women sitting on the stage and licking orange Popsicles (yes, that was the whole act).

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Owners should also watch for licking that is sudden, persistent or severe enough to cause hair loss or skin damage.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of licking

Verb

The influence of Syria’s greatest financial supporters is drawing Damascus toward a Qatari-Saudi-Turkish constellation.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Other colleges have avoided loans but are drawing more from their endowments each year than advisors consider sustainable.

— Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of drawing

Verb

Its core 1970s grinding yet melodic bluesy approach didn’t shift when synthesizers became the rage in the 1980s or when grunge overtook the rock world in the 1990s.

— Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The strain of ‘climbing the ladder’ The best esports players often have grinding schedules.

— Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of grinding

Noun

In the thrashing that was Brighton vs Aston Villa, John McGinn goes in for what appears to be a rough tackle on Ibrahim Osman in the penalty area in the 80th minute.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The Blågult had started so well, mind you, with a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026