to bump into

Examples

• All

• Would you ask her to give me a call, if you happen to bump into her?

  Crocodile Dundee II (1988)

• We just finished lunch and we bump into Ivan.

• So later that evening, we bump into her again.

  BFFs: Josh Richards & Bri Chickenfry

• You could go and bump into her and meet her.

  Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

• Sooner or later he would bump into the guy who hit his car.

  Fiction book (1995)

• The reporters still talk about the case whenever they bump into each other.

  Academic text (1997)

• Once in a while, I even bump into former students of mine from Carver.

  Election (1999)

• When the dance ended, I edged through the crowd and bumped into him by accident from behind.

  Fiction book (1993)

• The reason I asked about Alan is that I bumped into him this morning, and... - You know what I can't figure out?

  Fletch (1985)

• While I was shopping, I bump into an old friend I hadn't seen in years.

Synonyms

R

to run into

vsto bump into

338 2.7

Meet someone by chance without planning

is the same idea but emphasizes casual public encounters rather than formal meetings

C

to come across

vsto bump into

244 2.6

To find something or someone by chance

leans more toward accidental public meetings with people than general findings

W

to walk into

vsto bump into

211 3.5

To accidentally become involved in a situation you did not plan

focuses on simple chance meetings in public, not accidental involvement in events

S

to stumble

vsto bump into

171 2.8

To find something by chance

suggests public chance meetings more specifically rather than accidental discoveries

B

to bump

vsto bump into

153 2.8

To meet someone by chance while you are out

focuses on chance meeting in public rather than accidental physical contact

R

to run across

vsto bump into

43 2.7

Find something by chance while doing something else

is narrower, focusing on meeting people unexpectedly in public settings

C

to cross paths

vsto bump into

• Informal

32 3.7

Meet someone by chance

is more about casual chance meetings in public rather than brief crossings

H

to happen upon

vsto bump into

15 4.9

Find a person or thing by chance

is similar but usually stresses public chance encounters rather than discoveries

C

to chance upon

vsto bump into

3 5.1

Find someone or something by accident

applies more to casual public meetings rather than accidental discoveries broadly

C

to cross one's path

vsto bump into

4.2

To meet someone unexpectedly, often by chance

highlights everyday public chance meetings rather than just passing by once

Antonyms

A

to avoid

∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

How Unexpected

to bump into

55 2.2

to come across

244 2.6

to meet

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology