bounce around

Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bounce around

“You’re definitely going to have people kind of wanting to capitalize on any sort of pop that occurs, so trading could definitely bounce around quite a bit,” Smith said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

And the ratio might bounce around in coming quarters as tax receipts come in, tariff refunds go out and GDP fluctuates in response to inflation and revisions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

The Oscars date tends to bounce around a bit anyway, but one of the reasons it's a bit later this year is the Academy usually tries to avoid being too close to the Winter Olympics.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

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

The questions bounce around my head as I stare into the host’s face.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali