1
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
the farmers had to really hump to get the harvest in before the rains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in trotting
to proceed or move quickly
the boat was really humping before the motor started to sputter all of a sudden
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 humping
She and her son are seen posing in front of a mirror together, before Spears begins speaking in an English accent and seemingly simulating a humping motion while wearing tight shorts and a top that exposes her midsection.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Another ewok then proceeded to moonwalk on the Today plaza before grabbing Roker’s leg and humping it.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
That territory has a bounty of middle-age men humping stools and occasionally noticing that death eventually comes for us all.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Compounding the cacophony is a Jonny Greenwood score that veers between manic percolation—imagine a xylophone humping a coffeepot—and grandly operatic surges of synth.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
No more humping every female dog anymore.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Iain Stirling narrates the daily dramas of Peacock’s reality hit, cranking out reliably hilarious commentary about contestants’ back tattoos, dry-humping challenges and mosquitoes that interrupt intimate moments.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Another ewok then proceeded to moonwalk on the Today plaza before grabbing Roker’s leg and humping it.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
That territory has a bounty of middle-age men humping stools and occasionally noticing that death eventually comes for us all.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Compounding the cacophony is a Jonny Greenwood score that veers between manic percolation—imagine a xylophone humping a coffeepot—and grandly operatic surges of synth.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
No more humping every female dog anymore.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Iain Stirling narrates the daily dramas of Peacock’s reality hit, cranking out reliably hilarious commentary about contestants’ back tattoos, dry-humping challenges and mosquitoes that interrupt intimate moments.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humping
Verb
-
That took hundreds of people within Apple laboring over technical details like the screen’s lamination and moisture rejection, according to a former Apple engineering leader.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Montiel, 62, said Chavez’s legacy continues to reverberate as the union has pushed for improved working conditions for people laboring in extreme heat, at times without adequate breaks or water.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Seattle indie rock band, led by Ben Bridwell, will now embark on a spring tour to celebrate that milestone, trotting across the United States later this month.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
-
If Prime Minister Mark Carney has a reputation as a globe-trotting elite who wows the Davos crowd, his main rival, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, has a decidedly different profile.—
Brian Platt,
Bloomberg,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lillibridge says the prices are piling onto an already struggling industry.—
Lana Zak,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fort Collins now has drones flying the city nearly every day as a resource to the police, fire and utilities departments.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Meteor showers such as the Lyrids can be tracked yearly, because the debris flying through the night sky in fiery streaks is coming from the same comet.—
Hali Smith
March 31,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are the striving, dysfunctional parents, and the politically calculating peers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Through the Daodejing, one of the central texts of Daoism, Laozi offers perspectives from a tumultuous period of status-striving in Chinese history – and shifts our focus from comparison and competition to contentment.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond fuel concerns, speeding also is a safety risk.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Price was speeding south on Edgerton and slammed into the Corolla, a collision that pushed the sedan across the road and into the fence of Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And while Harrell continues his rehab, newcomer Cole Gonzales has been working with the first team, along with returner Grayson Loftis, who started seven games last season.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One player who’s looking forward to working with Corona is freshman Max DeHoyos.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kristopher David was driving to work Wednesday morning near the intersection of Broward Boulevard and Seventh Avenue when a black Audi, traveling westbound at a high rate of speed, T-boned his white BMW.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Wake early to catch the spectacle of sunrise before driving 30 minutes to the neighboring Santa Teresa.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humping. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
