bobbing 1 of 2

verb (1)

present participle of bob
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bobbing

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of bob
1
as in pumping
to make short up-and-down movements a family of ducks bobbing on the water

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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 bobbing
Verb
On Collins Ave in Miami Beach, the yachts along the intracoastal were bobbing nearly at street level. — Alex Harris updated September 27, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026 The world was not watching, but the ostriches were, their heads bobbing above the pen like periscopes. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 At each destination, Eliza kept doing her cinnamon roll dance, bobbing her head and rocking with joy. — Sean Carlson, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 There's currently no 100-MW Kraaken bobbing offshore, powering 32,000 homes, at least for now. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 But the calm day gave way to terror when her uncle again looked out into the ocean and saw Summer’s head bobbing in and out of the water. — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026 Amidst all those endlessly traversing ships and bobbing cranes, commerce flourished. — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Rapp and his crewmate, Suzanne Driscoll, hoisted a lobster trap marked by a bobbing buoy from the Casco Bay. — Natalie B. Compton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026 And that kind of thing didn’t happen in Mystic, a touristy escape from New York City complete with bobbing boats and sea lions doing tricks at the aquarium. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bobbing
  1. shaving
  2. pumping
  3. slapping
  4. cutting
  5. shaking
  6. smacking
  7. trimming
  8. swaying
Verb
  • After finally shaving his beard off, Colbert concluded the interview by gifting Kimmel something special from his show.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Colbert had no hesitation about taking the tool to his facial hair, shaving it off and returning to his recognizable clean-shaven look.
    — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaving
Verb
  • There’s a scene at the end, where Frances celebrates something by pumping her fist.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Backside homer off a guy pumping a 100 with one fastball that goes up and one that goes down.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pumping
Verb
  • Hochman said the nannies were caught on video spanking, slapping or hitting the children.
    — News Editor, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Residents have reported paying excessive amounts to retrieve their vehicles from tow yards, with companies sometimes slapping extra fees on drivers who contact the police, according to council members.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • This change is apparent in the fact that European governments, too, are cutting funding for religious freedom advocacy.
    — Matthew Schmitz, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In a sign of growing staff unrest over the steady stream of cost-cutting announcements across the BBC, some workers made their feelings known on a Microsoft Teams call earlier this week.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cutting
Verb
  • The brawl began when the players were shaking hands, just after Grayson defeated Carol City 10-9.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The hallmark signs include shaking or tremors, stiffness, slower movements and difficulty with balance or walking.
    — Jennifer Fields, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of shaking
Verb
  • But Varma and Shivam Dube (27) upped the ante in the final three overs by smacking 57 runs against Sufyan Moqim, Ayub and Ahmed Daniyal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Carrington was ejected from the game in the first half after smacking Cunningham across the face during Cunningham's layup attempt.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • But while the wider economy has come under pressure, with inflation hovering above 4% and the government trimming its economic growth forecasts, Brazil has also been an economic beneficiary of higher oil prices as a net oil exporter.
    — Chloe Taylor,Thomas Da Graca Barlow, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The hair architect responsible for trimming Lawrence’s texture on Tuesday has not yet been revealed.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimming
Verb
  • The surf was raging, completely enveloping the craft with only the swaying masts visible in the blackness of the night.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The shadows of the trees swaying in the breeze flickered across it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of swaying

Browse Nearby Words

bobbinets
bobbing
bobbing (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Bobbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bobbing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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