thumb

verb

Definition of thumbnext
1
as in to hitch
to travel by securing free rides thought I'd thumb into town instead of paying for a cab

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to flip
to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner I thumbed through the book during the flight but was too distracted to really read it

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 thumb His faith becomes tested by his burgeoning relationship with Lilith (Skye Alyssa Friedman), a classmate who takes every opportunity to thumb her nose at the confines of religion. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 July 2026 That’s sacrilege on par with an Ohioan disowning football or a Texan recoiling at the smell of brisket, a Kentuckian thumbing his nose at college basketball. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 2026 There was a phone book, camera film canisters, metal pins, the tattered remains of a baseball cap and an orange t-shirt with the outline of a giant thumbs up. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026 James Ontiveros, ninth-generation grower and owner of Native 9, holds out his right hand, thumb down, to explain the topography of Santa Barbara County. — Michelle Williams, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for thumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumb
  1. hitch
  2. flip
  3. bum
  4. leaf
  5. hitchhike
  6. skim
Verb
  • Others rented bicycles to pedal around the 8-mile island loop, pausing to climb the stairs to Arch Rock, shop for fudge, and relax over a drink at Pink Pony before hitching the last tender back to the ship.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Looks like an entire orbital launchpad could be hitched to a semi-truck and driven anywhere on Earth, thanks to space launch provider Rocket Lab.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hitch
Verb
  • Following Warsh's keynote speech Friday at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole, Wyoming symposium, markets flipped on rate expectations.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For a business owner whose returns understate what the company brings in, this flips the math.
    — Karen Koehler, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flip
Verb
  • My conversation partner returned, somehow unable to bum even a single cigarette from anyone at this party.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026
  • I'mPhaedra Trethan, bummed out to hear one of my favorite baseball announcers has been let go in a round of ESPN layoffs.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Definition of bum
Verb
  • These emotions are pertinent not only to the plant or leaf itself but also to living matter in its vicinity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Planting a leafed-out, growing hosta from a pot is identical to any other transplanting process.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026
Definition of leaf
Verb
  • Goodman was hitchhiking in the days following the festival when a driver stopped to give him a ride.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026
  • There are dozens of examples of invasive marine species hitchhiking on ships and threatening ecosystems around the globe.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of hitchhike
Verb
  • Winner of the Best Actress prize at Sarajevo after premiering in the Berlinale’s Perspectives section, the film has a bleak, unflinching gaze that sometimes skims the edges of shock-value miserablism.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Over the Fourth of July weekend, a series of storms skimmed the south of the city, pummeling Coney Island and the Rockaways with sand and sending beach umbrellas spinning like tops.
    — Matthew Schneier, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of skim

Phrases Containing thumb

Browse Nearby Words

thugs
thumb
thumbed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on thumb

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thumb

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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