thumps 1 of 2

noun

plural of thump
as in thuds
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument In frustration, she gave the jammed copier a thump with her fist.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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thumps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of thump
1
as in slaps
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner thumped the desk with his hand as he delivered his speech

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly playfully knocked his younger brother down and began to thump him with a foam bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 thumps
Noun
The lower-vocal harmony struggles to stand out any time the deeper bass thumps. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 Agents yelled from every direction, and the thumps of a news helicopter overhead were deafening. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026 You’ll be thrown around in your seat, which moves in sync with the action, along with thumps in the back, splashes of water, blasts of air, smoke, and flashes of light. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026 In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps. — Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Aledo thumps Colleyville Heritage, Joshua next Tiara Butler dropped in 13 points to lead Aledo to a 48-21 win over Colleyville Heritage in a Class 5A Division I bi-district playoff on Monday. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026 Pam thumps down to earth, all four chair legs on the floor. — Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026 Its Dolby Atmos fills your space, the subwoofer thumps, and Q-Symphony sync turns your TV into an epic sound machine. — PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 A couple of good back slaps and thumps from the adoring crowd. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 In one incident, a predator, confirmed by a state biologist to have been a wolf, attacked an elk on the front steps of a home in Sierra County as the college-age son of the owner cowered inside, alone and afraid amid the growls and thumps that were shaking the front door. — Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025 To the pop of a bottle of Ruinart champagne served with Petrossian caviar and blinis, the train thumps and clacks south of the French capital, picking up pace through villages and vineyards, warm air billowing through the wind-down windows. — Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumps
  1. thuds
  2. slaps
  3. licks
  4. blows
  5. knocks
  6. pounds
  7. punches
  8. smacks
Noun
  • Rapp, up on Taft Point, heard two thuds.
    — Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Likewise, the score by Tony Doogan leans too heavily on generic electronic thuds, the kind that segue into a commercial break cliffhanger and an ad for blood pressure medicine.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of thuds
Verb
  • Soto, looking irritated, reaches out and slaps him upside the head.
    — Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Helmut Haller, West Germany vs England, 1966 Ray Wilson misjudges his headed clearance, Haller gathers it on the edge of the box and, just before Bobby Moore can close him down, slaps a right-footed shot into the far corner.
    — Adam Hurrey, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of slaps
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of licks
Noun
  • The impact of yesterday’s sharp drop in South Korean equities transmitted further into US markets overnight, spreading selling sentiment and dealing heavy blows to US semiconductor and memory stocks.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Guevera also reportedly came to blows with Eddie Kingston in 2022, leading to Kingston’s suspension.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • When a headline knocks a stock down, the useful question is whether anything inside the business moved.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Brink is no stranger to the injury bug, as this is just the latest in a series of knocks the Sparks center has taken recently.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of knocks
Verb
  • Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine pounds Russia with long-range strikes At the same time, Ukraine has shifted the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages across Russia.
    — Volodymyr Yurchuk, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounds
Noun
  • No punches were thrown, and Oruwariye and Knight were separated quickly.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • During Monday’s press conference, Bessent sought to tamp down on criticism that the administration was pulling its punches.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Other gamblers just don’t want to get swindled, so anything that smacks too clearly of insider trading can get you in trouble.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Byerley smacks the schmuck in the face and wins the election.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacks

Browse Nearby Words

thumping
thumps
thunder
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Cite this Entry

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

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