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.
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Hopeful return: Third baseman Nolan Arenado suffered an injury to his left thumb Tuesday, the same injury he sustained in late August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
For physical illness, Tang says there are some well-established rules of thumb.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
In order to save money and have enough for discretionary items, it may be more helpful to maintain these spending levels than to use the well-known rules of thumb.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
When arguing with the prime minister, Mr. Gallant waved his right hand with thumb and index finger extended for emphasis, his eyes lit up with a rare fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Coal put in his mother’s thumb drive and one from Ms. Freeman’s desk and started copying files.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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Now she got her thumbs underneath the tape.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Hispanics gave them the thumbs down, 69% to 31%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
How have they built entire cities and extensive infrastructure with no thumbs?
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
While being couriered to the airport, some British passengers - clad in blue PPE - waved and gave thumbs up as they drove past the assembled media.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
Her thumbs tripped over each other, running up and down along the handle.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
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Valerie’s career is a long curtsy to declining standards and compromises; her 2014 journey thumbed its nose at the town’s prestige-chasing.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
In October, I thumbed through snapshots my mother had stashed in albums, envelopes and shoeboxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
McCartney was surrounded by an assortment of espionage books that event workers thumbed through during less bustling moments.
From New York Times ● Jun. 18, 2024
Live Nation has thumbed its nose at the authorities for more than 20 years, the lawsuit says.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024
He sat perfectly still as she thumbed his neck, the line of his jaw, and a spot next to his mouth.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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“Huge worlds are in, you know, those two blocks. Huge,” he said while thumbing through sepia-toned family photos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The speed of that reversal makes it tempting to see the latest ruling as a district judge thumbing her nose at the high court.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
If you are thumbing through the brochure/paperwork, it will be there in black and white.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 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
Then there’d be quiet behind her closed door and I’d picture her slowly thumbing through the Los Angeles Sentinel, our Negro newspaper.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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Vocabulary lists containing thumb
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Lesson 16
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