1
as in lumps
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
that's a nasty bump on your arm where you hit the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in demotions
the act or an instance of bringing to a lower grade or rank
the bump was punishment for insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
I felt the bump of the other car, but there was no damage to either vehicle
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in bangs
to come into usually forceful contact with something
that police officer bumped into me and should have apologized
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 bumps
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Cava , Restaurant Brands (Burger King and Tim Hortons), and Shake Shack also saw price target bumps.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Onboard, naturally, were minifigures of astronauts Ryland Grace and Rocky, presumably fisting their bumps in celebration.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
And, surprise, the fish that took a couple bumps swam nearly two times farther per week and swam almost eight miles more than those who weren't exposed to the drugs.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Turbine shortages, labor and construction costs, and energy shocks in the Middle East are just a few factors that could cause bumps in the road for AI companies building their own power.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
That dream would eventually come true, but not without some bumps in the road.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Despite some bumps and more repetitive sequences, Brody and Thompson deliver outstanding performances.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
The ordinance sets three more annual July pay bumps, which would eliminate Chicago’s subminimum wage starting in July 2028.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Michael Wayland, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
A day when the Stanley Cup years finally ride the synaptic road back to long-term memory and the brain finally bumps the past for the present.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Epic Pass typically bumps its prices two to three times before sales end in early December.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
The touch on his floaters, the variety of angles on his scoop layups, the strong shoulders that absorb bumps.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Cava , Restaurant Brands (Burger King and Tim Hortons), and Shake Shack also saw price target bumps.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
Onboard, naturally, were minifigures of astronauts Ryland Grace and Rocky, presumably fisting their bumps in celebration.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
And, surprise, the fish that took a couple bumps swam nearly two times farther per week and swam almost eight miles more than those who weren't exposed to the drugs.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Turbine shortages, labor and construction costs, and energy shocks in the Middle East are just a few factors that could cause bumps in the road for AI companies building their own power.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
That dream would eventually come true, but not without some bumps in the road.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Despite some bumps and more repetitive sequences, Brody and Thompson deliver outstanding performances.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
The ordinance sets three more annual July pay bumps, which would eliminate Chicago’s subminimum wage starting in July 2028.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX will start at $99,995, excluding a mandatory $2,595 destination fee that bumps the price to $102,590.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
A day when the Stanley Cup years finally ride the synaptic road back to long-term memory and the brain finally bumps the past for the present.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Epic Pass typically bumps its prices two to three times before sales end in early December.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumps
Noun
-
Remember, some lumps are preferred for the loftiest results.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But the lumps weren’t caused by poor hygiene or weight.—
Xitlalic Montelongo,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the plaintiffs’ concerns were ignored and, in 2019, the department retaliated by starting Internal Affairs investigations and imposing a series of negative work actions against the officers, including demotions, removals from specialized assignments and involuntary transfers, suit stated.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In Newark, 49 sergeants and 23 lieutenants who manage and supervise departments could face demotions if the results of their 2019 civil service exams are thrown out, according to the president of the city's Superior Officers' Association.—
Christine Sloan,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated multiple investigations into possible safety defects with Tesla's FSD, after several collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash.—
Robert Ferris,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Block collisions need to be balanced with efficient play-arounds to create more tackle tries.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Teal'c takes out some frustrations on an unlucky grunt who bangs him with a door at the start of every time loop, and O'Neill gets to (temporarily) sample the will-they side of his will-they-won't-they relationship with Carter.—
Daryl Baxter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Another bangs his head against the wall after expressing suicidal thoughts.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The department paid nearly $3 million to former employees since 2019 to settle accusations of pay, age, gender and disability discrimination, whistleblower protection violations, and retaliatory firings.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Those firings included Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House chief of staff John Kelly, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And yet my instinct to recoil at this all collides with a harder reality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The business model underpinning kids and family animation is under growing strain, as a post-streaming contraction collides with declining linear viewership and tighter commissioning, a panel at Spain’s Quirino Future Lab session underscored on Wednesday.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumps. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
