This Feb. 29: 15 Words for "Leap"

In celebration of Leap Day, February 29, here is a list of fifteen synonyms for "leap." Some are jumps of celebration and victory over obstacles, some are words used primarily with animals, while some border on funky dance moves. Leap in!
15 words 4086 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bound
    move forward by leaping
    He was by leaps and bounds the court’s most voluble, entertaining, maddening member, and he incited intense passions both positive and negative. Washington Post (Feb 20, 2016)
  2. vault
    jump across or leap over, as an obstacle
    A win against Virginia on Saturday would be good for Duke’s momentum, and back-to-back wins over ranked opponents could vault it back into the rankings. Washington Post (Feb 12, 2016)
  3. hurdle
    the act of jumping over an obstacle
    Defensive backs Positives: It’d be hard to find a group of defensive backs that hurdled more obstacles this season. Washington Times (Jan 20, 2016)
  4. caper
    a playful leap or hop
    They are also given to cutting capers, dancing jigs, declaiming sonorous prayers and leading countless suitors of different nationalities on merry chases. New York Times (Oct 23, 2015)
  5. saltation
    a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
    Phœbe minor, however, executed gleeful saltations in honour of his arrival. Creswicke, Louis
  6. plunge
    dash violently or with great speed or impetuosity
    And shortly after leaving, he’s stopped to plunge into the excited crowd along the street. Washington Times (Feb 14, 2016)
  7. swoop
    a swift descent through the air
    Nearby, a helicopter swooped down, hovering for a few moments above the crowd.  Los Angeles Times (Feb 14, 2016)
  8. spring
    move forward by leaps and bounds
    At the time of the report’s release, Russian officials said that they had been the targets of Western bias springing from recent East-West political tensions. New York Times (Feb 15, 2016)
  9. bounce
    leap suddenly
    Within 30 minutes, the piped-in background music gave way to live music, and the crowd started bouncing and whirling around the room. Los Angeles Times (Feb 20, 2016)
  10. buck
    jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched
    For instance, Wyoming's bucking horse and rider logo will be displayed on the red carpet at the premier. US News (Oct 28, 2015)
  11. rebound
    spring back; spring away from an impact
    Hillary Clinton has won the Nevada Democratic caucuses, rebounding after a second-place finish to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire. US News (Feb 20, 2016)
  12. pounce
    the act of moving down on as if in an attack
    Mr. Miller’s rescue cat, Nico, thus summoned, pounced obediently if discreetly after the laser as I conversed with his man-panion. Wall Street Journal (Feb 11, 2016)
  13. prance
    spring forward on the hind legs
    It was decorated with exotic plants, prancing deer and leopards that almost looked like they were leaping off the ground. BBC (Apr 21, 2015)
  14. surmount
    be on top of
    His high-stakes job has shown him that people can surmount life’s challenges and come out better people on the other end. Washington Post (Feb 15, 2016)
  15. gambol
    play or run boisterously
    In the ecstasy of that thought they gambolled round and round, they hurled themselves into the air in great leaps of excitement. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story
Created on Sun Feb 21 22:46:58 EST 2016 (updated Mon Feb 22 10:42:13 EST 2016)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.