BOUNDING Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

bounding 1 of 3

adjective

as in encircling

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Dissimilar Words

bounding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of bound

as in defining

to mark the limits of the country is bounded by water on two sides

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

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

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

Medicare Advantage plans shift costs to enrollees A defining feature of Florida’s Medicare Advantage market is the prevalence of plans charging no monthly premium beyond the beneficiary’s required Part B expense.

— Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
From Europe, Dries Van Noten’s poster prints are a definitive collector’s item, the skirts at Prada are zeitgeist-defining, and Saint Laurent’s gold pieces are instantly iconic.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

Multiple attack drones have crashed in NATO countries bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

— Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Kozak noted that the tide posed flooding threats to parts of coastal New York, like areas around Jamaica Bay, bordering the city's Brooklyn and Queens boroughs, and those near lower New York Harbor.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of bordering

Verb

The researchers developed four main control policies for driving, wheelies and hopping, flipping, and jumping.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Instead of sending one expensive robot to do a job, a swarm of cheaper hopping ones could monitor water and soil, inspect oil refineries, and explore other locations that are difficult to reach.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of hopping

Verb

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
The father, throwing his children out of the window of their burning home, leaping out after them and taking the lead bullets with his own body.

— Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 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

We were all riveted by the image of a glass of red wine undisturbed by a woman jumping next to it on the bed and the idea of sleeping on memory foam originally developed by NASA, now available to us.

— Jaklin Romine Oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Shares are jumping Thursday as part of the market’s rotation into defensive names.

— Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of jumping

Browse Nearby Words

bounders

bounding

boundless

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Style

“Bounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bounding. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bounding

adjective

verb (1)

verb (2)

Example Sentences

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