as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
bobbed her waist-length hair herself on her 18th birthday
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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2
as in slapping
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
he playfully bobbed his brother on the nose to get his attention
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Recent Examples of bobbing
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Here on the shore, overlooking the lighthouse and the harbor’s bobbing boats, partners Claire Hanrahan and Andrew Ainslie’s restaurant is the epitome of laidback chic with its country-kitchen interiors and butter yellow frontage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
What was a human being a second before is now a head bobbing among the waves as the vessel moves quickly away.
—David Szondy
april 19, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
In a video posted by TikTok user @livingmyloylife, which was later stitched by the official Carnival Cruise account, an orange rescue boat is seen bobbing through choppy waters to meet the sailboat.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Despite not being the tallest goalie, Hicks does an exceptional job of working to see through traffic, bobbing and weaving to see shot releases without sacrificing angles.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Alteration requests with such a price disparity would have seemed odd a few years ago, the tailor says, but are helping to keep the bobbins bobbing at his one-man shop, 85 Custom Tailor.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Once Orion is deemed safe to approach, Navy divers can bring their boats up against the bobbing capsule and members of the 16- to 20-person team jump into the water and begin attaching hardware to steady the capsule and prepare it for crew extraction and recovery.
—Miles Doran, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The walk, which made the woodcock a viral hit on social media, consists of the bird shimmying and bobbing its head.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Naval mines bobbing in the waters of the Persian Gulf, threatening oil tankers.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Here on the shore, overlooking the lighthouse and the harbor’s bobbing boats, partners Claire Hanrahan and Andrew Ainslie’s restaurant is the epitome of laidback chic with its country-kitchen interiors and butter yellow frontage.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
What was a human being a second before is now a head bobbing among the waves as the vessel moves quickly away.
—David Szondy
april 19, New Atlas, 19 Apr. 2026
In a video posted by TikTok user @livingmyloylife, which was later stitched by the official Carnival Cruise account, an orange rescue boat is seen bobbing through choppy waters to meet the sailboat.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Despite not being the tallest goalie, Hicks does an exceptional job of working to see through traffic, bobbing and weaving to see shot releases without sacrificing angles.
—Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Alteration requests with such a price disparity would have seemed odd a few years ago, the tailor says, but are helping to keep the bobbins bobbing at his one-man shop, 85 Custom Tailor.
—Anne D'innocenzio, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Once Orion is deemed safe to approach, Navy divers can bring their boats up against the bobbing capsule and members of the 16- to 20-person team jump into the water and begin attaching hardware to steady the capsule and prepare it for crew extraction and recovery.
—Miles Doran, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
The walk, which made the woodcock a viral hit on social media, consists of the bird shimmying and bobbing its head.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bobbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobbing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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