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
An antelope on a ridge teasingly stares before bounding off up the rocky hill. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 17 Apr. 2026 But Adams is bounding around the rooftop beaming, teeth porcelain-white, face slathered in makeup, hair firmly coiffed. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 Gray will play Lisa, an EMT and partner to the team of lifeguards bounding down Venice Beach. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026 There is no shortage of footage of Shelton from his early career, bounding after balls with the fury of a linebacker chasing down a quarterback and then sliding through them — too far through them. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 May 2026 With the Rockies holding a 7-0 lead, Rumfield sent a drive to deep right-center, where the ball grazed the outside of Adell's glove before hitting his head and bounding over the wall. — ABC News, 3 June 2026 With the Rockies holding a 7-0 lead, Rumfield sent a drive to deep right-center, where the ball grazed the outside of Adell's glove before hitting his head and bounding over the wall. — CBS News, 2 June 2026 The latter maintains an exuberant push-and-pull between Rushen’s electric piano, bounding with lightness and dexterity, and her classmate Bobby Bryant’s blaring tenor saxophone. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2026 Marie Marseille’s 100-pound dog, Jameson, a shaggy golden Saint Berdoodle, was killed on June 13 by an LAPD officer while bounding out of Marseille’s Canoga Park apartment. — Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times, 5 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
  • Look for flattering lengths, breathable fabrics, and waist-defining details.
    — Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • The last week has seen frenzy spill over for what will be an era-defining, royal-level wedding.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 July 2026
Definition of defining
Verb
  • Several streets bordering the venue are expected to be closed, according to permits Swift filed, the New York Times reported.
    — Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Earlier this month, the county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure aimed at ensuring that the thousands of empty lots in unincorporated Altadena and Sunset Mesa, a small residential enclave bordering Pacific Palisades, are not left untended.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of bordering
Verb
  • Biking Barefoot There’s hardly anything more quintessentially Southern than hopping on a bike barefoot—and probably in a wet swimsuit as well—in the summertime to pedal down the street to a friend's house, neighborhood pool, or the shoreline.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • These stands are also designed and engineered in the US, so hopping on this deal feels appropriate for this upcoming Independence Day weekend.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
Definition of hopping
Verb
  • Then, two batters later, reliever Kyle Hurt threw a four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate, and Machado rocketed the pitch to the center field wall beyond the grasp of a leaping Pages.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Gonzalez, robbed of a potential first-inning homer when Adell made a leaping catch of his drive above the wall in right, followed with a towering 368-foot fly that cleared the short left-field wall for his first homer of the season and a 7-1 lead.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
Definition of leaping
Adjective
  • The system, which serves 100,000 residents in Iowa City and its surrounding, mostly rural communities, typifies the challenges most libraries face.
    — Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 18 May 2026
  • Since then, the bustling market serves the surrounding and significant Latino community and others.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of surrounding
Verb
  • Lamine Yamal, with the ball bouncing inside the box, spun and ripped a shot that Austria's goalkeeper just stopped for a corner kick.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
  • Following his stint at Miramar, Hernandez spent seven months bouncing between Alligator Alcatraz and the El Paso Service Processing Center in Texas.
    — Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of bouncing
Verb
  • One of my earliest moviegoing memories is nearly jumping out of my seat at the sight of Doctor Octopus.
    — Brayden Garcia July 2, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026
  • Wednesday, a witness called 911 to report somebody jumping off the bridge, Knox said.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 2 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bounding

Nglish: Translation of bounding for Spanish Speakers

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