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:
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
Agencies cannot put a thumb on the scale by taking account of a rule’s costs but not its benefits, particularly when there are established techniques for valuing the benefits.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 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
With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
I make a pinching motion with two fingers and a thumb.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
![]()
You cannot apply logic to his work — every choice thumbs its nose at the real world — and I rarely like the overall result.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
How have they built entire cities and extensive infrastructure with no thumbs?
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Attenborough wanted to explain how the development of thumbs and fingers allowed apes to grip tools.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
And until the software catches up to our thumbs, the best defense against typos is decidedly low-tech: Read your message before you hit Send.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
Smoit stopped in the middle of the chamber, threw back his cloak, and hooked his thumbs into the enormous bronze belt which strained to bursting about his middle.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
![]()
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
“I’m not sure the idea of adventure is even Christian,” Dill said as he thumbed through the book.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
![]()
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
Gone are the days of flavoring your morning coffee with a bit of ink, accidentally dipping the corner of the newsprint into a mug while thumbing through the pages.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2025
He points out that engineers are no different from the rest of us when it comes to thumbing through a manual.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
Our mother was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea and thumbing through a magazine.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
![]()
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!