bounds 1 of 4

noun (1)

plural of bound
1
as in limits
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go the language in the novel really is beyond the bounds of decency

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Relevance
2
as in confines
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something colored outside the bounds of the drawing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bounds

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of bound
as in leaps
an act of leaping into the air the kangaroo took one giant bound and was gone

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bounds

3 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bound
1
as in defines
to mark the limits of the country is bounded by water on two sides

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2
as in borders
to serve as a border for being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality

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bounds

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bound
1
as in hops
to move with a light springing step the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jumps
to propel oneself upward or forward into the air a rabbit bounded down the garden path

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bounds
Noun
There's an absurd scientific explanation for these events, but the movie doesn't spend too much time on it, which is mostly for the best within the bounds of its sub-100-minute run. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Rourke appeared to throw a touchdown pass on the previous play to Taylor, who was ruled out of bounds. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 And, by the way, calling out White for not appropriately defending her own player during a postgame news conference is well within the bounds of normal sports criticism. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 The only incompletion was a pass Maye threw a half-second too late that led him out of bounds. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 Finally, redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Williams helped force a fumble during team drills, but thankfully for the offense the ball rolled out of bounds before it could be recovered by senior cornerback Teon Parks. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026 In the third quarter of the Fever's 90-86 win over the Sky, Clark made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds and was called for a technical foul. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Walker attempted to truck Gilman near the end of the play, and Gilman bumped him back out of bounds. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026 In instances where these agents are acting on behalf of security professionals, rather than malicious invaders, this is actually troublesome as agents are now escaping the bounds of their constraints and potentially causing more harm than good. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
With the sprightly energy of a schoolboy, Jean-Paul Doron bounds into an empty creek, his red suede shoes scraping pale rocks. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026 Over a century later, the Himalayan blackberry has spread far beyond the modest backyard bounds its importers envisioned, opting instead to take over indiscriminately and displace the native trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus) in the process. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026 Oprah Winfrey bounds into view in a white dress. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2026 Something as simple as adding a tablespoon of fresh ground flax or chia seeds to a smoothie can do leaps and bounds improvement in the microbiome itself. — Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 24 May 2026 Sister typically bounds around on their walks, but Bowen said the tiny dog kept sitting still on the road. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026 As Sac State bounds into the 2026 season as a first-time member of the FBS in the Mid-American Conference, Carter said his squad will not lack in effort. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Her 3-point shooting has jumped leaps and bounds from the early part of her college career. — Matthew Coller, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026 Taking photos with the device so many people have in their pockets is leaps and bounds beyond photography equipment used during Apollo 17 – even the 1960s-era 35mm camera. — Jennifer Levasseur, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bounds
  1. limits
  2. boundaries
  3. leaps
  4. defines
  5. borders
  6. hops
  7. jumps
  8. limitations
Noun
  • Championship loss limits were markedly lower than those applied to Premier League clubs.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The bill, which was originally introduced in February by state assemblymember Matt Haney, aimed to curb ticketing scalping by brokers and resale platforms by placing limits on the resale price of concert tickets.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of limits
Noun
  • In 1974, both countries signed an agreement at the United Nations defining the maritime boundaries in the strait.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Phone tracking is a useful tool, but personal boundaries are necessary and should be respected.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of boundaries
Noun
  • Yet for every one of these tremendous leaps forward engineered by Gorbachev, Putin has commanded a sensational step backward.
    — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Thanks to major leaps in the tech, these tools can now generate photorealistic fake footage at the drop of a hat — which could have devastating implications for efforts to keep disinformation at bay.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of leaps
Verb
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines personally identifiable information as data that can distinguish or trace a person’s identity, either alone or when combined with linkable information.
    — Nicole M. Bennett, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Nowhere to be found in this section, or the entire CBA, is the part that defines what a woman is.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of defines
Verb
  • Liechtenstein, a wealthy nation of 40,000 people that borders Switzerland and Austria, has an unusually powerful monarchy by European standards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The park borders Canada and the spine of the Rocky Mountains.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of borders
Verb
  • Once the key ingredient in beer, hops, is used in brewing, the plant’s stems and leaves are left over.
    — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In one particularly zany scene that was teased to the public, Hart (OK, his stuntman) hops on a pink stretch limo zooming around the Brickell area.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of hops
Verb
  • In the last-minute flash-forward, HBO‘s space-cop drama jumps 10 years ahead to 2026, where a now-goateed John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) is called to examine the frozen corpse of his former mentor.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Bret clunkily jumps right to his virginity, suggesting that whatever is going on between them isn’t exactly one-sided.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of jumps
Noun
  • Somaliland is proximate and overcomes some of the limitations imposed by other regional hosts like Djibouti and Middle East partners.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • These limitations can contribute to nostalgia and homesickness during a long mission.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of limitations

Phrases Containing bounds

Browse Nearby Words

boundlessness
bounds
bounteous
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Cite this Entry

“Bounds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bounds. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bounds

Nglish: Translation of bounds for Spanish Speakers

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