bounding 1 of 3

adjective

as in encircling

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Dissimilar Words

bounding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bound
1
as in defining
to mark the limits of the country is bounded by water on two sides

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2
as in bordering
to serve as a border for being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality

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bounding

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of bound
1
as in hopping
to move with a light springing step the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaping
to propel oneself upward or forward into the air a rabbit bounded down the garden path

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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 bounding
Verb
My ears strained for the telltale sound of a deer bounding away through the darkness. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 Clear blue skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus, where a cool breeze is wafting by and the official mascots are bounding about the grounds in search of critters. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026 The old ranch hand cut a surprisingly sprightly figure in his warehouselike clinic, bounding from room to room. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 The sound of a teenager bounding down the stairs of our home. — John Biemer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 For now, though, the puppy who once came bounding into CBS Texas is growing up right before our eyes. — Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 East Portal Park was busy on Monday morning, with children bounding through the playground and the soft clunking of bocce balls echoing from the nearby courts. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Perhaps most importantly, the brothers had an indisputable chemistry, both in the studio and bounding around racks of equipment on stage. — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 8 Aug. 2026 At 5-foot-9, Fery possesses a skill set perfectly suited for low-bounding grass. — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bounding
  1. embracing
  2. defining
  3. bordering
  4. hopping
  5. leaping
  6. surrounding
  7. bouncing
  8. jumping
Adjective
  • The saints’ days are celebrated, the great days of history are celebrated, and they’re celebrated with this sort of enormous exuberance and deep investment that is somehow very, very touching, very embracing, and very inclusive.
    — Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 2 Sep. 2025
Definition of embracing
Verb
  • Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In From Day One As countries build generation-defining infrastructure—road and rail tunnels, smart stadiums and hospital precincts—connectivity is too often bolted on late in construction.
    — Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • The name of the restaurant refers to the enormous river/estuary bordering Argentina.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Health Ministry has recorded two cases, including one death, in Nord-Ubangi province, bordering the Central African Republic.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bordering
Verb
  • The Italians have their evening passeggiata, and Spaniards practice the splendid art of the tapear, hopping from tapas joint to tapas joint in search of satisfaction and tipsiness.
    — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers developed four main control policies for driving, wheelies and hopping, flipping, and jumping.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of hopping
Verb
  • The team assembles, jumping off lifeguard towers, leaping over beach patrons, and, of course, running and diving in slow motion to make the rescue.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • After Mesa's homer gave the Rays a 4-2 lead, Anthony Volpe appeared to hit a two-run shot against Griffin Jax with two outs in the bottom half as a fan reached over the left-field wall and caught the ball over the glove of a leaping Mesa.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of leaping
Adjective
  • Some critics of the budget cuts argue that the bar may be high but merited, given what the museum has to offer Brussels in terms of art, direct and indirect employment, and revitalizing the surrounding, low-income neighborhood.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Connecticut farmers have been watching how surrounding states have handled the bright red flying bug and adjusted their farms accordingly.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • In a funny nod to The Great Escape, this Jason spends his solitary confinement bouncing a ball against the wall in defiance of his keepers.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Keep products from different stores in one cart Shopping online often means bouncing between websites.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bouncing
Verb
  • The latest push to end the practice began in June after an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after jumping from a runaway carriage.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The bill was renamed in June after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India, died while jumping after his mother when their carriage horse bolted on a sightseeing tour in the park.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of jumping

Browse Nearby Words

bounders
bounding
boundless
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Cite this Entry

“Bounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bounding. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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