thumb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“I’m not a huge fan of rules of thumb in the first place,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
If you feel compelled to comment on a famous woman’s body, a good rule of thumb to remember is “don’t.”
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
A Mediterranean summer on fire has become a genre now, a seasonal rerun we thumb past on the way to something else.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Now, bring your fingers together with your thumb holding down your little finger and rest the bottom of the three remaining fingers on the horizon again.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
In seconds, he stood in front of them in full form, with his thumb still on the EGG.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
On Tuesday afternoon, Harry smiled and gave a thumbs up to crowds as he stepped into his car following an Invictus Games event.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
How have they built entire cities and extensive infrastructure with no thumbs?
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Jones was in the arena conducting an interview with the Netflix broadcast team when he received the challenge and gave a thumbs up amid the crowd’s cheers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026
After the hearing, Hill smiled to journalists and gave thumbs up.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026
He tried to push the lids up off the jars with his thumbs but they were on too tight.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
He has largely thumbed his nose at them over the Epstein files.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
In October, I thumbed through snapshots my mother had stashed in albums, envelopes and shoeboxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Guests thumbed through the order of service, which one Muslim guest in the pews said was “very helpful” for navigating the Christian ceremony.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
Critics thumbed thesauruses for hyperboles to rhapsodize about her pyrotechnics.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
He thumbed through the book for a few minutes before stashing it back in his bag and just watching.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
If you are thumbing through the brochure/paperwork, it will be there in black and white.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026
The normie survivors try to convince themselves it might send something good, like they’re thumbing TikTok hoping for a treasure worth the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
Watching the show felt like thumbing through TikTok, assaulted by walls of sound, garish ads and the occasional familiar face.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Christina Ramberg and Martha Edelheit upend notions of sexiness in their paintings, thumbing their noses at the “male gaze.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
“Overuse of Symbolism in Minor Historical Portraits,” he read, thumbing through the pages.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Vocabulary lists containing thumb
Road Home
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 16
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
