bounce around

Idioms

Move around from one person or place to another. For example, The staff spent the morning bouncing around ideas to improve sales , or She had been bouncing around from one job to another . This term alludes to a ball bouncing among players. [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]
Treat roughly or unfairly, as in Quit bouncing me around; I won't stand for it . This usage is based on a somewhat earlier meaning of bounce , “to beat up” or “coerce.” ] Slang ; c. 1970]

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.

In “Bluey: Bust-a-Move,” you can bounce around as Bluey, Bingo, Mum or Dad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

I’ll have to bounce around a little, but don’t worry: I’ll try to keep it to the past 425 years.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

Hearing it bounce around the Beacon felt like a sanctioned rebellion.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025

“Even if bond prices bounce around in the coming weeks, yields are still looking pretty solid compared to the last 20 years,” he said.

From Salon • May 31, 2025

“Ride in the cab. Some nasty potholes on the way back. Wouldn’t want you to bounce around back there.”

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023