Verb list: 290 strong verbs to replace weak verbs and adverbs

A strong verb names one exact action, so it doesn't need an adverb to finish the job: ambled instead of walked slowly, gulped instead of drank quickly, glared instead of looked angrily. The 290 verbs below are grouped by the kind of action, from movement and looking to thinking, conflict and work, and each comes with the weak verb and adverb it replaces and an example written for this list.

Plain verbs such as walked, looked and said are still the right choice whenever the manner doesn’t matter. Reach for the list when it does, and look for weak verbs hiding inside nouns too. This report-style sentence has six of them:

The first version buries six verbs in nouns (decision, review, expectation, implementation, improvement, retention) and props them up with filler: made, carry out, lead to. The revised verbs add two things the nouns had blurred: who is acting (the committee decides, reviews and expects) and what the improvement means in plain terms (more students stay enrolled). In fiction the gain is often a new fact: trudged up the drive tells the reader she is tired, which walked slowly up the drive leaves out.

After the list: how to find the weak verbs in a draft, how to dig out hidden verbs in reports and essays, two classic passages built on verbs, and the places where the plain verb is still the right one.

Strong verbs for movement

Walked and ran are fine when the movement doesn't matter. When it does, the verb can carry speed, mood and the state of the body at once. More movement words, and adjectives for how people look, are in the descriptive words list.

1. ambled — walked slowly, at ease: ambled along the canal with nowhere to be
2. trudged — walked slowly, worn out: trudged up the drive with four bags of shopping
3. shuffled — walked without lifting the feet: shuffled forward in the passport line
4. plodded — walked slowly and steadily: plodded through the last six miles of the marathon
5. dawdled — walked slowly to put something off: dawdled outside the dentist's door
6. strode — walked fast with long, sure steps: strode into the meeting with the signed contract
7. marched — walked fast with purpose or anger: marched back to the counter with the cold soup
8. stalked — walked stiffly, angry or menacing: stalked off without paying
9. stomped — walked heavily, in a temper: stomped upstairs and turned the music up
10. tiptoed — walked quietly on the toes: tiptoed past the baby's room
11. crept — moved slowly and silently: crept along the hedge toward the open window
12. sneaked — went secretly (snuck is common in US English): sneaked out through the laundry room
13. slunk — moved away quietly, ashamed: slunk back to his desk after the reprimand
14. prowled — moved around stealthily, as if hunting: prowled the empty office after midnight
15. sauntered — walked casually, unbothered: sauntered past the bouncer as if he owned the club
16. wandered — walked without a goal: wandered the aisles of the hardware store
17. limped — walked unevenly, injured: limped off the field holding his knee
18. hobbled — walked with pain and difficulty: hobbled to the door on crutches
19. staggered — walked unsteadily, nearly falling: staggered out of the pub into the rain
20. lurched — moved suddenly and unsteadily: the bus lurched away from the curb
21. waddled — walked with short, swaying steps: waddled across the ice in three coats
22. paced — walked back and forth, anxious: paced the hospital corridor until the doors opened
23. jogged — ran slowly and steadily: jogged the last block to the station
24. sprinted — ran as fast as possible: sprinted for the closing elevator doors
25. dashed — ran quickly, for a short time: dashed out for milk between calls
26. raced — ran fast against the clock: raced the storm back to the car
27. bolted — ran off suddenly: bolted the moment the alarm went off
28. fled — ran away from danger: fled the building with the alarm still ringing
29. scurried — ran with short, quick steps: scurried between the tables with a tray of drinks
30. scrambled — moved fast and clumsily, often uphill: scrambled up the bank on all fours
31. clambered — climbed awkwardly with hands and feet: clambered over the fence into the orchard
32. scaled — climbed all the way up: scaled the scaffolding to the third floor
33. vaulted — jumped over, pushing off with the hands: vaulted the turnstile
34. leapt — jumped high or far (also leaped): leapt the ditch without breaking stride
35. hopped — jumped lightly, or got on quickly: hopped onto the back of the truck
36. tumbled — fell, rolling over: tumbled down the last six stairs
37. toppled — fell over from being top-heavy or pushed: the bookcase toppled into the hall
38. plunged — fell or dived steeply: plunged off the end of the jetty into the lake
39. slumped — sat or fell heavily, out of energy: slumped onto the sofa still in his coat
40. sprawled — lay with arms and legs spread: sprawled across the bed diagonally
41. swerved — changed direction suddenly: swerved around the pothole
42. careened — moved fast and out of control: careened down the hill on a borrowed bike
43. drifted — moved slowly, as if carried: drifted toward the buffet
44. edged — moved slowly and carefully, bit by bit: edged along the cliff path with his back to the rock

Strong verbs for talk

These summarize a conversation in the narration, when you don't quote the words. For a tag on a quoted line, plain said usually wins, and the words to use instead of said cover the cases where it doesn't.

45. chatted — talked lightly and easily: chatted with the barber about the playoffs
46. bickered — argued about small things: bickered over who left the gate open
47. haggled — argued over a price: haggled the rug down to forty euros
48. gossiped — talked about other people's business: gossiped about the new manager over lunch
49. rambled — talked a long time without a point: rambled about his ex for an hour
50. droned — talked on and on in a dull voice: droned through forty slides on compliance
51. prattled — talked foolishly and at length: prattled about the seating plan all evening
52. blurted — said suddenly, without thinking: blurted out the surprise before the cake arrived
53. confided — told a secret in trust: confided that she had applied for the job in Denver
54. bragged — talked proudly about oneself: bragged about his golf handicap through dinner
55. lectured — told off at length, from above: lectured the intern on the dress code
56. scolded — told off angrily: scolded the dog for the chewed shoe
57. berated — criticized angrily and at length: berated the waiter in front of the whole room
58. grilled — questioned hard and long: grilled the candidate about the gap in her résumé
59. badgered — asked again and again: badgered his parents for a phone
60. nagged — reminded over and over, annoyingly: nagged him about the gutters all summer
61. heckled — interrupted a speaker with jeers: heckled the comedian from the back row
62. vented — talked out anger or frustration: vented to her sister about the landlord
63. briefed — told the essentials, formally: briefed the night shift on the new patients
64. recounted — told the story of something: recounted the flight delay in painful detail
65. coaxed — persuaded gently and patiently: coaxed her grandfather into seeing a doctor
66. sweet-talked — persuaded with flattery: sweet-talked the clerk into an upgrade
67. conferred — talked something over before deciding: conferred with her lawyer before answering

Strong verbs for looking

Looked is one of the verbs first drafts lean on hardest. These say how long, how hard and with what feeling.

68. glanced — looked quickly: glanced at the clock for the third time
69. glimpsed — saw briefly or partly: glimpsed the sea between two hotels
70. peeked — looked quickly and secretly: peeked at the last page
71. peered — looked hard at something hard to see: peered into the fog for the ferry lights
72. squinted — looked with eyes half shut: squinted at the menu without her glasses
73. stared — looked long and fixedly: stared at the ceiling until three
74. gazed — looked long, with wonder or longing: gazed at the house she grew up in
75. gaped — looked open-mouthed, astonished: gaped at the size of the bill
76. gawked — stared rudely or stupidly: gawked at the crash from the shoulder
77. ogled — looked at with open desire: ogled the dessert cart
78. leered — looked at someone with nasty intent: leered at her from the end of the bar
79. glared — looked angrily: glared at the man talking through the film
80. eyed — looked at warily or with interest: eyed the last slice of pie
81. studied — looked carefully, to understand: studied the map for a long minute
82. scrutinized — examined in close detail: scrutinized every clause of the contract
83. inspected — looked closely for faults: inspected the rental car for scratches
84. scanned — looked quickly over an area: scanned the arrivals board for her flight
85. surveyed — looked over the whole of something: surveyed the damage from the doorway
86. skimmed — read quickly for the gist: skimmed the report on the train
87. spotted — picked out by sight: spotted her brother in the crowd
88. monitored — watched over time: monitored the patient's breathing through the night
89. combed — searched every part of: combed the beach for her lost ring
90. pored over — read or studied closely, absorbed: pored over the old letters for a name

Strong verbs for hands and touch

Took, put, held and touched cover a hundred different movements. These name one each.

91. grabbed — took quickly and roughly: grabbed her keys off the hook
92. snatched — took quickly, often rudely: snatched the letter out of his hand
93. seized — took hold suddenly and firmly: seized the rail as the boat rolled
94. clutched — held tightly, afraid or desperate: clutched the ticket all the way to Lyon
95. gripped — held very firmly: gripped the wheel with both hands
96. clasped — held closely, hands together: clasped her hands in her lap
97. cradled — held gently and protectively: cradled the old cat in a towel
98. fumbled — handled clumsily: fumbled with the keys in the dark
99. groped — felt around blindly: groped for the light switch
100. rummaged — searched untidily by hand: rummaged in her bag for a pen
101. fished — pulled out after searching: fished a coin out of his pocket
102. plucked — took between finger and thumb: plucked a hair from his sleeve
103. pinched — squeezed between finger and thumb: pinched the dead flowers off the geranium
104. squeezed — pressed hard from both sides: squeezed the last of the toothpaste
105. massaged — rubbed to ease pain: massaged the knot in her shoulder
106. caressed — touched gently and lovingly: caressed the worn spine of the book
107. patted — touched lightly with a flat hand: patted his pockets for his phone
108. tapped — hit lightly, often for attention: tapped her glass with a spoon
109. prodded — poked to push or urge: prodded the fire with a stick
110. nudged — pushed gently, often with the elbow: nudged her husband awake
111. tugged — pulled with short, hard pulls: tugged at his collar
112. yanked — pulled suddenly and hard: yanked the plug out of the wall
113. wrenched — pulled with a hard twist: wrenched the lid off the paint can
114. twisted — turned with force: twisted the cap off the jar
115. flicked — moved with a quick finger movement: flicked the crumbs off the table
116. tossed — threw lightly, casually: tossed the keys onto the counter
117. hurled — threw with great force: hurled the phone across the room
118. lobbed — threw in a high arc: lobbed the ball back over the fence
119. smoothed — pressed flat with the hand: smoothed the creases out of the map
120. wrung — twisted to squeeze out water: wrung out the dishcloth

Verbs for eating and drinking

How a character eats is characterization at the dinner table. Ate and drank say nothing about appetite, manners or mood.

121. gulped — swallowed quickly in big mouthfuls: gulped the water after the run
122. sipped — drank in small amounts: sipped her tea while it was still too hot
123. slurped — drank or ate noisily: slurped the noodles straight from the pan
124. swigged — drank in long swallows from a bottle: swigged cola from the bottle
125. guzzled — drank greedily: guzzled a liter of lemonade
126. nursed — drank slowly to make it last: nursed one beer all evening
127. nibbled — ate in small bites: nibbled the edge of a cracker
128. munched — chewed steadily and audibly: munched popcorn through the trailers
129. crunched — chewed something hard, noisily: crunched an ice cube
130. gnawed — chewed at, persistently: gnawed on a pencil through the exam
131. wolfed — ate fast and greedily: wolfed a sandwich between meetings
132. picked at — ate little, without interest: picked at her salad
133. savored — ate slowly, enjoying it: savored the first oyster of the season
134. polished off — finished all of: polished off the leftover curry

Verbs for emotion and the body

“She was scared” is a label. A verb that shows the fear in the body is evidence, which is much of what show, don't tell means in practice. Each one is precise once; repeated every page, it turns into a tic.

135. flinched — moved back suddenly, from fear or pain: flinched at the slam of the door
136. winced — made a face at sudden pain: winced as the nurse found the vein
137. cringed — shrank back, embarrassed: cringed at the sound of his own voicemail
138. recoiled — drew back in disgust or shock: recoiled from the smell in the fridge
139. shuddered — shook briefly with fear or disgust: shuddered at the thought of the bridge
140. trembled — shook slightly with fear or emotion: her hands trembled as she opened the letter
141. bristled — reacted with sudden, defensive anger: bristled at the word “assistant”
142. stiffened — went rigid, alarmed or offended: stiffened when his name was called
143. seethed — was silently furious: seethed through the rest of the meeting
144. fumed — showed anger openly: fumed in the line for the customs desk
145. sulked — was silently resentful: sulked in the back seat all the way to Leeds
146. pouted — pushed out the lips, sulking: pouted when the ice cream ran out
147. moped — was listless and sad: moped around the apartment after the breakup
148. glowered — stared angrily and sullenly: glowered at the referee
149. scowled — frowned in anger: scowled at the parking ticket
150. beamed — smiled broadly with joy: beamed at her daughter on the stage
151. smirked — smiled smugly: smirked when his rival missed the putt
152. blushed — went red with embarrassment: blushed when his mother read the poem aloud
153. blanched — went pale with fear: blanched at the size of the estimate
154. flushed — went red with heat or anger: flushed to the roots of his hair
155. gasped — breathed in sharply, shocked: gasped as the car slid toward the edge
156. sighed — let out a long breath, tired or sad: sighed and reached for the next file
157. sagged — drooped, losing hope or energy: his shoulders sagged at the length of the line
158. sobbed — cried noisily, with gasps: sobbed in the car before going in
159. giggled — laughed lightly and nervously: giggled through the whole rehearsal
160. snickered — laughed slyly, half hidden: snickered at the teacher's typo
161. chuckled — laughed quietly, to oneself: chuckled at the cartoon in the paper
162. guffawed — laughed loudly and heartily: guffawed at his own joke
163. fidgeted — moved restlessly, nervous: fidgeted with her ring through the interview
164. squirmed — wriggled, uncomfortable: squirmed while the teacher read his essay aloud

Verbs for thinking and deciding

Thought and realized are filter words in most scenes, so cut them where you can. When the thinking itself is the action, these name what kind it is. Three come straight from Strunk; more on that below.

165. pondered — thought carefully for a while: pondered the offer over the weekend
166. weighed — compared options: weighed the job against the commute
167. deliberated — thought or argued carefully before deciding: the jury deliberated for two days
168. brooded — thought darkly about something: brooded over the review for a week
169. dwelt on — kept thinking about (also dwelled): dwelt on the one bad comment in forty good ones
170. fixated on — couldn't stop thinking about: fixated on the typo in the invitation
171. daydreamed — let the mind drift pleasantly: daydreamed through the budget presentation
172. mused — thought idly, sometimes aloud: mused that the town hadn't changed in thirty years
173. figured — worked out or guessed (informal): figured the shop would be closed
174. deduced — reasoned from evidence: deduced from the tan line that he had been married
175. inferred — concluded from hints: inferred from her silence that the deal was off
176. surmised — guessed from little evidence: surmised that the house had been empty for years
177. gathered — understood from what was said: gathered that the meeting had gone badly
178. suspected — thought likely, without proof: suspected the dog had eaten the steak
179. doubted — didn't quite believe: doubted the bus would come at all
180. recalled — brought back to mind: recalled the name of her first teacher
181. forgot — did not remember: forgot her mother's birthday for the first time
182. ignored — did not pay any attention to: ignored the warning light for a week
183. distrusted — did not have much confidence in: distrusted anyone who smiled that much
184. grasped — understood fully: finally grasped why the numbers didn't add up
185. dismissed — decided it wasn't worth a thought: dismissed the noise as the wind
186. resolved — decided firmly: resolved to call his father on Sunday
187. settled on — decided after looking at the choices: settled on the cheaper apartment
188. opted — chose one option: opted for the night train
189. wavered — was unsure, swaying between choices: wavered at the door of the clinic
190. dithered — couldn't decide, fussily: dithered over the wine list
191. reconsidered — thought again about a decision: reconsidered after reading the contract
192. schemed — planned in secret, usually to deceive: schemed to get the corner office

Verbs for change and growth

For things that get bigger, smaller, older or different: weather, objects, bodies, towns and numbers. Got bigger and went down are the weak versions.

193. swelled — got bigger from inside: her ankle swelled in the heat
194. ballooned — grew fast, as if inflated: the budget ballooned to twice the estimate
195. mushroomed — spread suddenly in numbers: coffee shops mushroomed along the high street
196. sprouted — appeared suddenly, as if growing: cranes sprouted over the old docks
197. surged — rose suddenly and strongly: the river surged over the weir
198. soared — rose fast and high: rents soared after the station opened
199. doubled — grew to twice the size: the waiting list doubled in a year
200. dwindled — got smaller little by little: the crowd dwindled to a few dozen
201. shrank — got smaller: the sweater shrank in the wash
202. waned — grew weaker: her interest waned by the third chapter
203. tapered — narrowed toward an end: the path tapered to a sheep track
204. faded — lost color or strength slowly: the bruise faded to yellow
205. dimmed — grew less bright: the house lights dimmed before the film
206. wilted — drooped from heat or thirst: the basil wilted on the windowsill
207. withered — dried up and shrank: the vines withered in the drought
208. crumbled — broke into small pieces: the plaster crumbled under her thumb
209. rotted — decayed: the porch steps rotted through
210. rusted — wore away with rust: the gate rusted shut
211. frayed — wore into loose threads: the rope frayed where it rubbed the rock
212. cracked — broke without coming apart: the windshield cracked in the frost
213. shattered — broke into many pieces: the glass shattered on the tiles
214. buckled — bent and gave way under weight: the shelf buckled under the encyclopedias
215. thawed — warmed from frozen (also of people): the pond thawed in March
216. ripened — became ready to eat: the tomatoes ripened on the windowsill

Verbs for conflict and force

Fight scenes go flat when every blow is “hit”, and they tire the reader when every verb is spectacular. Mix these with plain ones; short sentences usually help.

217. struck — hit hard (formal): struck the table with his fist
218. punched — hit with a closed fist: punched the wall and broke two knuckles
219. slapped — hit with an open hand: slapped the mosquito on her arm
220. swatted — hit quickly with something flat: swatted the wasp with a magazine
221. jabbed — poked or punched quickly: jabbed a finger at the map
222. elbowed — pushed with the elbow: elbowed his way to the front
223. shoved — pushed roughly: shoved the door open with her shoulder
224. jostled — pushed against in a crowd: jostled for space at the bar
225. barged — pushed rudely in or through: barged into the meeting without knocking
226. rammed — hit with force, on purpose: rammed the gate with the truck
227. tackled — brought down by grabbing: tackled the thief on the courthouse steps
228. grappled — struggled at close quarters: grappled with the intruder in the hall
229. wrestled — struggled to move or hold: wrestled the suitcase into the overhead bin
230. pinned — held down so they couldn't move: pinned his brother to the carpet
231. pummeled — hit again and again with fists: pummeled the pillow into shape
232. battered — hit repeatedly, doing damage: waves battered the sea wall
233. pounded — hit repeatedly and heavily: pounded on the door until the neighbors came out
234. lashed — hit as if with a whip: rain lashed the windows all night
235. hacked — cut roughly with heavy blows: hacked at the brambles with a machete
236. slashed — cut with a long, sweeping blow: slashed all four tires
237. lunged — moved forward suddenly to attack or grab: lunged for the knife
238. dodged — moved quickly aside to avoid: dodged the snowball
239. ducked — dropped the head quickly to avoid: ducked under the low beam
240. parried — turned aside a blow or a question: parried the reporter's question with a joke
241. ambushed — attacked from hiding: ambushed the patrol at the ford
242. cornered — trapped with no way out: cornered the cat behind the boiler
243. overpowered — beat by greater strength: overpowered the guard
244. subdued — brought under control: subdued the man with help from two passengers
245. retreated — moved back, withdrew: retreated to the kitchen when the shouting began
246. surrendered — gave up, stopped resisting: surrendered his keys at the door

Verbs for work and making

Made, did and fixed hide the skill. Name the job, and the reader sees the hands doing it.

247. assembled — put parts together: assembled the crib with one screw missing
248. forged — shaped hot metal by hammering: forged the gate hinges by hand
249. welded — joined metal by melting: welded a new bracket onto the trailer
250. carved — cut a shape from wood or stone: carved their initials into the bench
251. whittled — shaved wood into shape with a knife: whittled a spoon from a birch branch
252. sculpted — shaped with care and art: sculpted the hedge into a peacock
253. molded — shaped soft material: molded the clay around a wire frame
254. stitched — sewed by hand: stitched the torn hem on the train
255. knitted — made from yarn with needles: knitted a scarf on the commute
256. kneaded — worked dough with the hands: kneaded the dough for ten minutes
257. brewed — made tea, coffee or beer: brewed a pot strong enough to stand a spoon in
258. hammered — hit with a hammer: hammered a nail into the doorframe
259. sanded — smoothed with sandpaper: sanded the table back to bare wood
260. scrubbed — cleaned by rubbing hard: scrubbed the oven with a wire brush
261. polished — rubbed until it shone: polished his shoes for the interview
262. hauled — pulled or carried with effort: hauled the boat up the slipway
263. lugged — carried something heavy, awkwardly: lugged the suitcase up four flights
264. hoisted — lifted with effort or a rope: hoisted the sail
265. stacked — piled neatly: stacked the chairs after the meeting
266. sorted — arranged by type: sorted the mail into three piles
267. tallied — counted up: tallied the votes on a whiteboard
268. drafted — wrote a first version: drafted the speech on the train
269. patched — mended with a piece over the hole: patched the tire by the roadside
270. tinkered — made small repairs or changes, experimenting: tinkered with the engine all Saturday

Verbs for reports and arguments

In essays, reports and business writing the weak verb is often a phrase: is about, looks at, makes better. These replace the phrase with the verb inside it.

271. examines — instead of “is about”: This chapter examines the 1926 general strike.
272. analyzes — instead of “looks closely at”: analyzes ten years of rainfall data
273. traces — instead of “follows the history of”: traces the recipe from Naples to New York
274. measures — instead of “finds out how much”: measures noise levels at three schools
275. tests — instead of “does a test of”: tests the claim against court records
276. supports — instead of “gives support to”: The diaries support her account.
277. contradicts — instead of “goes against”: The receipts contradict his timeline.
278. refutes — instead of “proves wrong”: refutes the idea that the canal was built for trade
279. undermines — instead of “makes weaker”: The missing month undermines the whole argument.
280. clarifies — instead of “makes clear”: clarifies who owns the copyright
281. shapes — instead of “has an influence on”: The river shapes every street in the town.
282. triggered — instead of “brought about”: The memo triggered a strike.
283. devised — instead of “came up with”: devised a cheaper way to test the water
284. proposed — instead of “put forward”: proposed a four-day week
285. founded — instead of “set up”: founded the clinic in 1987
286. eliminated — instead of “got rid of”: eliminated two steps from checkout
287. halved — instead of “cut by half”: halved the wait for a first appointment
288. expanded — instead of “made bigger”: expanded the program to four cities
289. tracks — instead of “keeps track of”: tracks every change to the policy
290. summarizes — instead of “gives a summary of”: Table 3 summarizes the results.

How to find weak verbs

A weak verb isn't wrong. It's general, so it needs help to say what happened: an adverb, an adjective, a noun or a “not”. That help is what you search for in revision. In a first draft, walked slowly is a placeholder that keeps you moving, and stopping to find the right verb can cost you the next paragraph, so fix weak verbs in a separate pass.

Two caveats. Was plus -ing is right when the ongoing action matters (“He was running for the bus when the phone rang”). And phrasal verbs aren't weak by nature: put up with is better than tolerated in most dialogue, so swap one only where the precise verb fits the voice.

For a whole chapter, ask the Strokes Assistant to review it for the patterns in the table (verb plus adverb, started to and began to, was plus -ing, nouns ending in -tion with made or gave in front) and to list each one with the sentence it sits in.

The “not” pattern is an old target. William Strunk Jr. made it a rule in The Elements of Style (1918), and three of his examples are in the thinking group above:

A “not” sentence tells the reader what didn't happen and leaves them to work out what did. The positive verb says it outright, in fewer words. When a sentence turns on “not”, look for the verb that means the opposite.

Dig out hidden verbs

The weak verbs in academic, legal and business prose are often hiding inside nouns. The US government’s plain-language guide on digital.gov puts it this way: “A hidden verb (or nominalization) is a verb converted into a noun. It often needs an extra verb to make sense.” Its own example turns “We conduct an analysis of the data” into “We analyze data.”

The committee sentence at the top of this page is a typical case: six hidden verbs, held up by made, carry out and lead to, in a sentence about twice as long as its revision. George Orwell named that padding in “Politics and the English Language” (Horizon, April 1946): “verbal false limbs,” stock phrases such as give rise to that spare the writer the work of choosing a real verb. Hidden verbs and the passive often travel together, so the active and passive voice examples are the natural next pass.

Keep the noun when the thing itself is your subject. “The decision surprised everyone” is about the decision; “an investigation” is sometimes exactly what happened, with a name, a budget and a report.

Strong verbs in classic prose

Two passages show what strong verbs look like when they carry a description on their own.

Dickens builds his adjectives out of verbs: squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, five participles, each something a hand does to money. By the end of the run you can feel Scrooge's grip, and the plain adjective that follows, covetous, only names what the verbs have already shown.

The thunder lets go, rumbles, grumbles and tumbles, and the simile is built on two more verbs, rolling and bounce. None of them is a thesaurus word. Huck narrates in his own unschooled voice, and every verb is one he'd use, which is the point: strong doesn't mean fancy. It means exact.

When the plain verb is better

A list like this one invites over-correction. These are the usual ways a verb pass goes wrong:

• Choosing for color, not meaning. Sauntered means unbothered. If your character is late and anxious, it's the wrong verb however good it sounds. Every near-synonym above carries a reason, and the reason has to fit the scene.
• Making every verb vivid. A page where nobody walks, only strides, stalks and saunters, is purple prose. Keep plain verbs for routine actions (she went to the car, he sat down) so the strong ones land where the scene turns.
• Replacing said. In dialogue tags, said and asked stay invisible, which is their job. Strong verbs belong in the action around the line.
• Using words the narrator wouldn't. A nine-year-old doesn't scrutinize anything. In close point of view, the verb has to come from the character's vocabulary.
• Dressing up instructions. In technical writing the plain verb wins: click, select, use. Utilize is the classic false strong verb, longer than use and no more precise.

The overdone version swaps every verb for a bigger one and adds an adverb anyway. The version that works uses a plain verb for the walk and puts the tension where it belongs, in two details: the car came back, and its engine is running.