thumb
noun
the short, thick, inner digit of the human hand, next to the forefinger.
is thumbing
-
present progressiveof thumb (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
“He is thumbing his nose at transparency requirements, his constituents and the public,” Spaulding said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 13, 2023
Do you think it’s fair to say that Elon Musk is thumbing his nose at those hundred years of rules of the road, by the way he tweets?
From Slate ● Apr. 9, 2022
“The government is thumbing its nose at everybody,” says Richard Weir, an investigator on Burma for Human Rights Watch.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2018
James Corden is thumbing through texts on his cellphone inside his “Late Late Show” office at CBS Television Studios in the Fairfax district.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2017
The pious old man who is thumbing the book is displaying his Talmudic erudition to his hearers.
From The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, Issue 160, April, 1904 by Various
