as in extremely
to a great degree
wrote several thumping big books on World War II
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pounding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in slapping
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 licking
to strike repeatedly
playfully knocked his younger brother down and began to thump him with a foam bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thumping
Noah White, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
The Bulldogs have shut them out six times during that streak, including last year’s 43-0 thumping.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Mariota played well in his first start, a Week 3 thumping of the Raiders.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
After Sunday’s 35-7 thumping of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Rams can enjoy their bye this season with a certain level of confidence.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
The Shamrocks displayed their collective might in Monday’s 7-1 thumping of King Philip.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
The film stars Vahid Mubasseri as a mechanic with painful kidney injuries from prison beatings who first follows the distinctive thumping sound of a prosthetic leg that’s etched on his brain and sets the plot in motion.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
Eddie Howe will hope Newcastle’s 4-0 thumping of USG is the first sign of their new-look front line gelling, with Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon (two penalties) and Harvey Barnes all on target.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Janie Frank, who has lived in Westcliff for nearly 30 years, said on the worst days the sounds of thumping bass and partygoers flood her home from a nearby house occupied by students.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Dec. 2025
Think beyond-potent drinks, deafeningly thumping tunes and wall-to-wall humanity.
—Miami Herald, 27 Dec. 2025
An ecological thriller in the style of Virunga (also with Leonardo DiCaprio as an executive producer), The Ivory Game is a heartbreaking and heart-thumping look at the maze of issues that threaten African elephants with mass extinction.
—Tomris Laffly, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025
Mechanical hums rattle the skyway’s roughly mile-long interstitial space, married with a cacophony of tires thumping over the hundreds of omni-directional, accordion-style joints that are designed to absorb any displacement, rotation or seismic movement.
—Katie Lauer, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
Is your heart thumping like an 808 kick drum?
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
Coastal Carolina has lost its last two games, including a 51-7 thumping at South Carolina in a non-conference encounter last week.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
But the volume and intensity of the songs—with thumping sub-bass and lightning-crack drums—were visceral.
—Daniel Dylan Wray, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
Florida went on an 11-point run in the first half, just for UConn to end the half on a 28-14 thumping.
—Verb
Stephen Curry scored 31 points with six 3-pointers and the Golden State Warriors welcomed back their regulars Saturday to beat the Utah Jazz 123-114 after a 37-point thumping by the Thunder a night earlier playing short-handed.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for thumping
Adverb
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The first indicator is oftentimes a lack of water flow from faucets when the weather is extremely cold.—
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Skeeter, 36, serves as the Hornets’ player development coach and is also the primary person who works extremely closely with star guard LaMelo Ball.—
Noun
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The memories remained from crawling across the balcony, the pounding on the chamber doors, the screams echoing through the rotunda.—
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In that room, Cristobal didn’t come down hard on his staff, no yelling or pounding of the table.—
Verb
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Mimicking what happened seven years earlier after the Dallas playoff win in Charlotte, the players ran back outside and took a lap around the stadium, slapping hands with delirious home fans.—
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That means not just the sound of rubber slapping the pavement or the whir of electric motors—the soundtrack of a Formula E race—but something new and artificial or, more generously, bespoke.—
Verb
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Other photos showed Owen proudly licking the faces of his owners and getting some hugs and pats from the reality star, her husband and children.—
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The Chocolate Brownie Batter flavor was my first try, mostly because any brand that claims something tastes like licking brownie batter off the spoon must be challenged.—
Adverb
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The senior administration official said the transfer would happen quickly because Venezuela’s crude is very heavy, which means it can’t be stored for long.—
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Pipes and sewers can be very dangerous for pets and wildlife and Roto-Rooter, with specialized equipment and personnel, has become a go-to call to save cats, dogs, turtles and more.—
Noun
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The 61-point win was UT's most-lopsided victory in a Big 12 or SEC game, besting a 90-39 thrashing of Texas Tech in 2018.—
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The 6-0 thrashing was highlighted by a blitz of three goals in the span of 76 seconds, the latter two lamp-lighters coming just nine ticks apart.—
Verb
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And the good vibes of those wins quickly dissolved with Toronto smacking them around in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss.—
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Malika was now smacking the rug in rhythm.—
Verb
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Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.—
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Trump spent most of 2025 downplaying the significance of the files, at times lashing out against Republicans who demanded the release of information about other potential perpetrators.—
Cite this Entry
“Thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thumping. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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