| 单词 | thumb |
| 例句 | He dug his thumb into my cheek and eliminated the remaining space between our bodies, his kiss impatient and rough. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z He cradled her face, with his thumb just brushing the point of her chin. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z When Billy thought of them he always pictured young guys with glasses and attache cases sitting primly on the A train and thumbing through a thick book. 145th Street: Short Stories 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z Some of the people on the street looked at me and nodded their head or gave me the thumbs up sign. The Million Dollar Shot 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z He tapped his thumbs together over his interlaced fingers, unable to think of anything else to ask this stubborn child. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z The agent flattened himself against the rock, thumbed back the hammer of his revolver, and waited for the horseman to show. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Then she takes Jacqui’s hand and pinches it with her thumb and forefinger. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z The lieutenant paused, thumbing one of the metal bands she wore on her upper arms. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z “Show me my grandmother,” she said as she stuck her thumb into the center of the knot and stretched it into a hole. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z Then he reached his thumb and finger into his mouth, issued a piercing whistle, and motioned to the bulldozer, which lumbered to life. An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z I took the thin magazine from the pouch in front of me and began to thumb through it. Fallen Angels 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z The Titan Krios jabbed his thumb against the UP button on the elevator’s right side. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z They didn’t have the strength to suck their thumbs. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z “Go on, beat it, I told you!” the colonel roared, jerking a thumb over his shoulder angrily. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z He tapped his thumbs against his revolvers and said, “When the bullets start flying, you may find I’m nice to have around. Those pretty pictures aren’t going to keep you alive.” Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Wang Lung shook the ash from his pipe and pushed the fresh tobacco in slowly with his thumb. The Good Earth 1931-03-02T00:00:00Z He slid his thumb ring’s edge along the metal strings. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground 2017-05-09T00:00:00Z Instantly, we crossed ourselves—thumbs inward, shoulder to shoulder, forehead to sternum. The Inquisitor's Tale 2016-09-27T00:00:00Z “You little FILTH!” he screams and presses his thumbs into my throat. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z Albert’s green eyes were flecked with gold from the firelight, and he unconsciously lifted the bird charm he wore around his neck, rubbing it between his finger and thumb. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z She took the edge she had freed, gripped it hard between forefinger and thumb, and pulled the dressing back in a sudden stroke. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z Then he ran the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. Genuine Fraud 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z Suddenly Cooke dropped the Chicago Daily Tribune and pulled a long knife from his pocket; his thumb pressed a button and a gleaming steel blade leaped out. Black Boy 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z The hand looks quite human, with a thumb and delicate fingers with fingernails. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z She tolerated them fair enough, except for the muddy boots on the furniture and when they spread butter on their bread with their thumbs. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z He crossed his legs and pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z His secondaries sprouted along his forearms, and a charming little false primary sprang from the end of each thumb. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z His gloved thumb moved over her pulse, traced the top of the feather tattoo. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z I put a hand against her cold cheek, rubbing a circle over the skin with my thumb. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z Mamá took my hand in hers, kissed it, and rubbed my knuckles with her thumb. Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z The Doctorita is always yelling at me about his thumb sucking, a habit which she insists could mess up his teeth for life. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z The nail of her forefinger split and the balls of her thumbs ached as she struggled with the placket. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z He put down his roll and reached over and took her gnarled hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z I pulled the drawstring at the waist tightly until I could barely poke my thumb through the opening. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z “Oh,” I say, hiking my thumb back to our front porch. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z Mam turns toward the dead ashes in the fire and sucks at the last bit of goodness in the Woodbine butt caught between the brown thumb and the burnt middle finger. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir 1996-09-05T00:00:00Z At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z I give her a smile, two thumbs up, and one raised eyebrow. Boy21 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z “Like this. You want to keep your thumb along the flat.” The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z She rubbed her thumb and forefinger like she was balling wax. Tradition 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z I plucked the pendant up and held it between my thumb and index finger. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z He ran his finger along the scar; put his thumbs together over the kneecap and rocked the knee gently with his fingers. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z He just ran his thumb along the veins in her wrist. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z “But it shouldn’t have. There are cameras, aren’t there? And there are nurses up the wazoo. What the hell were they doing? Twiddling their thumbs?” Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z My thumb went for the red scuff mark on the back of the ball, trying to rub it out like I always did whenever I got bored. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z Jamie pointed with one thumb over his shoulder at his backpack. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z I poked through its contents until I found my father’s pocket watch and traced my thumb over the case’s familiar dings and scratches. The City Beautiful 2021-10-05T00:00:00Z I raised his hand to my lips, closing my mouth around his thumb, waiting to see if he would protest. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z She made the picture bigger and moved it with her thumb, panning across their three faces. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z Ralph refused to come out of the mitten thumb to answer. Ralph S. Mouse 1992-08-01T00:00:00Z He reached up to stroke my cheek once quickly with his thumb, his face curious. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z “For instance”—I hold my thumb and pointer finger ten centimeters apart—“the lake holds millions of tiny, winged fish.” The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z She shook it and flicked the button with her thumb until at last a small flame shot out. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z Carl picked at a callus on his thumb and Billy Buck watched a spider crawling up the wall. The Red Pony 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z Breathing heavily, he gripped the switch with his thumb and forefinger. Shooting Kabul 2010-06-22T00:00:00Z He winked at Abbey and me, and jerked a thumb over one shoulder. Flush 2005-09-13T00:00:00Z It was about the size of a person’s thumb and was made of clear plastic so that you could place it in a microscope and look into the flask. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Malia moves to the front of it and gives me two thumbs up. A Soft Place to Land 2021-09-14T00:00:00Z Vonetta pulled her thumb out of her mouth and put her head in her lap. One Crazy Summer 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z Women could be beaten by their husbands and fathers, as long as the men used a whip no thicker than a thumb. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z And without thinking, I reach down and take her hand and lift it up so I can see it better, feeling the tip of her index finger with my thumb. Things Not Seen 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z It still took place, but this Caesar’s thumb was more often turned up than down, and the number of animals imported to service the arena was far lower. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z When I nod, he says, “I’m going to check the height now,” and puts his thumbs on the crest points of my hip bones. The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z She just climbs into Mami’s lap and puts her thumb in her mouth. Harbor Me 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z Grandma nuzzled me in the back of the neck with her thumb. March Forward, Girl 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z “I can’t remember why I wrote this,” she said as she wet her thumb and started rubbing off the words. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z I picked a pen from her pencil case and twirled it on my thumb and middle finger. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z He squeezed the inner corners of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z “To the left, to the left,” I say, reciting the Beyonce lyrics while pointing my thumb and tossing my head to the left. Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z In Modeg you actually press your lips to the back of your own thumb. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He crouched down and peered between the spines, watching for a moment before he held up a triumphant thumb. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z She put her thumb on the small scar. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z Montag lay back against the wall and then slowly sank to a crouching position and began to nudge the books, bewilderedly, with his thumb, his forefinger. Fahrenheit 451 1953-01-01T00:00:00Z I thought about the unfinished scarf, and the rock she carried across Broadway, and how she had lived so much life but still needed imaginary friends, and the one thousand thumb wars. margie carson. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z Poppy had calmed down and was curled up against Lina’s chest with her thumb in her mouth. The City of Ember 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z “Hello, it’s me again,” Nathan said, pressing his thumb against his communication stone. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z I drew Fred’s hand holding the specimen, his thumb curving around the side and his fingertips peeking around the other side of the shell. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z I flipped her a rigid thumb, indicating I hadn’t been seriously injured. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z I stuck out my thumb while every car on the highway sped up the second they saw us. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Without looking, I run my thumb across the top of the Walkman, feeling for the button that brings me into the story. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z I pushed small stones into the earth with my thumb, creating a pathway to our front door, and lined the roof with twigs. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z It infuriated Brave Orchid that her sister held up each dish between thumb and forefinger, squirted detergent on the back and front, and ran water without plugging up the drain. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z His companion, a dull-witted older boy by the name of Edmund, had thumbed his nose at me, putting me more out of temper. Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z There was no one in the room when she entered except for baby Hernando, who was sitting on the floor, sucking his thumb. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z A Westerosi woman, but taller than he was, just a thumb under six feet. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z I sweep my thumb across the silver wrapper. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z One Saturday, sleepily thumbing through the newspaper at the breakfast table, she’d suggested to Rafik that he attend a youth workshop on “developing artistic talents.” Habibi 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z He gave her a copy of Huckleberry Finn, the pages creased from his thumbing, and she started reading it on the bus home but stopped after a few chapters. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z He spun the cylinder of his revolver with his thumb over and over—a sound like chattering teeth. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z She turns in her chair and opens the folder as she thumbs through the pages. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z He ran his gloved thumb over the rail. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z He pulled it out and held it up to the old woman between finger and thumb. Stardust 1998-10-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed three cars before one stopped for him. Cannery Row 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z O’Brien held up the fingers of his left hand, with the thumb concealed. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z And as they sank down and the infused shapes of our own world began to appear, the grip of that finger and thumb grew stronger. The Magician's Nephew 1955-05-02T00:00:00Z Still, she gave them a smile and a thumbs- up. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z He swung a leg behind Mama and sat down on the step above, digging his thumbs into the thick flesh below her neck. Farewell to Manzanar 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z "What about after he got better? Did he ever say what he meant by God's thumb, or how he survived?" Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z He rubbed his thumb through her palm and up her fingers, and was aware of her every breath. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z They would come around a curve and out of that golden mist they would see a shadowy figure by the roadside, arm out, one thumb up. Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z He slid his thumb to her lips, down to her chin, along the smooth expanse of her throat. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z I have lots to say and just one thumb to say it with. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z I rubbed the comer of the concrete with my thumb. Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z His thumb hovering over the pulse point in my wrist. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z I was biting my lips and letting each one of my fingers meet my thumbs over and over again. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z I thumb through it, for although I have read it many times, I can always read it again. On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Picking up the ax, Joe ran his thumb along the edge. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Lieutenant Scheisskopf longed desperately to win parades and sat up half the night working on it while his wife waited amorously for him in bed thumbing through Krafit-Ebing to her favorite passages. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z He hooks a thumb in one of his belt loops and says, “How are you, Beatrice?” Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z I thought that I could put my thumb on her nose and push it bonelessly in, indent her face. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z I took the hat gingerly between my thumb and forefinger. Hattie Big Sky 2006-09-26T00:00:00Z Then she leaped at my thumb, her yellow jaws open. The Wednesday Wars 2007-05-21T00:00:00Z She cracked the tip off a pod, pulled the string, snapped the casing open, slid her thumb inside the slithery shell, and added the peas to the mound in the bowl between her knees. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z Then he set about pulling the small black threads from his skin, pressing down with the flat of his thumb. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z I have enough control in my fist and thumbs to push the buttons so I can change the station, and I’m really glad of that! Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z The screwdriver slipped, and I hit my thumb really hard and the lock stayed locked. Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer 2015-05-12T00:00:00Z Her face was ashy grey and I saw her glance down at that hand of hers that didn't have a thumb. The Witches 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z The tangle loosens under her thumb and she pulls the strands apart. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z She jerked her thumb toward the lower bunk, where Sticky’s covers and pillows were in lumpy disarray. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z Wilse took a drink of water, and then setting the glass down, twirled it a few times between his thumb and fingers. Across Five Aprils 1964-01-01T00:00:00Z Royal turned over her palm and slid a thumb across her fresh calluses. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z She pointed to the bottom of her thumb to show me exactly where Daisy had bitten Mom. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z A three-inch gash runs from the fleshy part of my thumb to my wrist. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z Carrying their flints and torches, Native Americans were living in balance with Nature—but they had their thumbs on the scale. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z Then there’s me, sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb. Bronx Masquerade 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z He cupped his fingers and thumb, making a circle. The Last Olympian 2009-05-05T00:00:00Z Tyrion reached a thumb and forefinger into the salt dish, and sprinkled a healthy pinch over his meat. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z The smoke made her eyes water, and there was a smarting blister on one thumb. The Witch of Blackbird Pond 1958-12-01T00:00:00Z He took his thumb and pressed it gently along the knuckles. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z Ama’s eyes glittered widely in the gloom, and her hands were moving together in a repetitive gesture of finger on thumb, finger on thumb, to ward off danger by confusing the evil spirits. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z Ignoring the sarcasm in his lifelong friend’s voice, Amarante thumbed back the hammer, took careful aim . . . and blew the second bottle into just as spectacular smithereens. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z If I hit my thumb with a hammer, most people watching will grimace: they’ll mimic my emotional state. The Tipping Point 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Tuti licked her thumb and wiped the corner of my eye. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z She gives me two thumbs up and laughs. The House That Lou Built 2018-06-12T00:00:00Z She squints her eyes at me for a second before smiling and thumbing through her boyfriend’s wallet for a twenty. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z The black-mustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harry looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z The old lady licks her thumb before she turns each page. Free Lunch 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z She tried rubbing her thumb against it like she’d just watched him do to make the flame appear, but she couldn’t make it work. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z My thumb brushes over the missing tip of my ring finger, my nervous tic. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z After a few more minutes with our thumbs out, somebody else came along and took us all the way to War. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z The pad of her thumb was moving back and forth against his skin in circles, slow, deliberate. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z Albert looked at his tattoo and ran his thumb across the sails. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z He crouched down and peered between the spines, watching for a moment before he held up a triumphant thumb. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z She yanked her thumb to the wall behind him. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z When he jerks his thumb at some unfortunate, Blackie steps forward to take care of it. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z She put three spoons of sugar in her coffee and, holding the spoon in the cup with her thumb so that the handle threatened to puncture her eyeball, she slurped a bit more. A Confederacy of Dunces 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z He rubbed his chin with his thumb, looked at it, and then started scraping again. The Sun Also Rises 1926-10-22T00:00:00Z “I’ll be fine,” she said, but she felt the beginnings of panic whirling in her stomach—why had Taisin left?—and she swept up a piece of glass that nicked her thumb. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z He opened the top drawer of the file to replace the card, A, B, C—he thumbed through the letters nervously. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z He shouldn’t have bothered; the boy was absorbed in his phone again, thumbs and fingers doing a furious dance on the keyboard. When Dimple Met Rishi 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z The thief almost seemed to be showing off, thumbing his nose at the authorities. Chasing Vermeer 2004-06-01T00:00:00Z Digger hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z “I haven’t had a perfect day since I turned sixteen,” Trina said as she thumbed down the corner of her page and placed the book by her side. The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin) 2012-08-14T00:00:00Z Then he takes his flashlight and shines it in the dog’s eyes, holding each eye open with his finger and thumb. Shiloh 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z The nail of his right thumb is missing and the stump that remains is blanched and corrugated. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z Daniel sat next to Sarah in the front, looking down and picking a blister off his thumb like it was the most important thing that was going to happen all day. Liar, Liar 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z I pulled the last one off the shelf and opened it across my lap, thumbing through the pictures. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z And she flicks him on the ear with her thumb and fingernail. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z “Hold up your hands in front of you with your thumbs together.” The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Strings of shredded lettuce hung from his lips; he pushed the stragglers in with his thumb. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z She pulled a long silver chain up over her head, and the last thing to reveal itself was the black circular pendant, a little bigger than the size of my thumb, hanging from it. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z Nell climbed in my lap and fell asleep sucking her thumb. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Pol took off his shooting glove—an odd, three-fingered leather glove with a bulging, padded thumb—and showed her how to strap it onto her right hand. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z I nod and drag my index finger and thumb across my lips. Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z He especially loved the warm brown of Mrs. Beale’s thumb, as it appeared from under the creamy white icing that she allowed him to lick away when she was frosting his favorite cake. Maniac Magee 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z I picked at an itch in my nose with my thumb. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z Aunt Consuelo jerked her thumb at her husband, who was hunched over the radio. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z She runs her thumb along my arm, like she’s trying to coax the tears out of me. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z She traced the fine freckles on his skin with her thumb. The Parker Inheritance 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z I feel a long breath leave my body as I quickly thumb through the rest of the envelopes on the table. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z The map was ragged, so thumbed that it had grown as supple as a piece of chamois. In Cold Blood 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z Humble picks a piece of salad out of his teeth with his thumb. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z One of his thumbs brushed across my spine and.... Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z She has thumbed through the padded folder of nearby restaurants. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z She held it between her thumb and forefinger, suspended between her lap and her mouth. Silent To The Bone 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z "My friend," I say, pointing my thumb in Max's direction. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z I drew a bit of a shaky breath, relieved that at least one person present didn’t seem eager to hang me up by my thumbs. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z I watched my father thumb through the pages. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 2012-02-21T00:00:00Z No longer under her father’s thumb, she enjoyed thinking for herself. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z He wraps his hand around my elbow, his thumb pressing to the soft skin above my forearm, and tugs me toward him. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z She releases my thumb, so I step back, far enough to give her space to speak, but not so far that I'm out of frame. How It Went Down 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z Dr. Finch held his cigarette with his thumb and two fingers. Go Set a Watchman: A Novel 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z I know this because I was spinning slowly around in the barber’s chair to the left of Penny, reading a book about a sixteen-year-old who sucks his thumb. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z He stood in the doorway, his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of his gray shorts until the entire class was staring at him. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z I couldn’t think of a thing to say, so I just stuck my thumb up in the air, awkwardly, and slipped into my seat. Tangerine 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z I squeeze his hand tighter and keep my thumb gripped on his birthmark. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z There were fully twenty-five seeds studding the top of it each as large as the end of his thumb. The Golden Goblet 1961-04-24T00:00:00Z He watches me lick my thumb and scrub dirt from my face, and he becomes excited. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z He clicked at the latch with his thumbs. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge 2018-09-25T00:00:00Z I aim all my energy at my thumb and point to “Go.” Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z He waited with the line between his thumb and his finger, watching it and the other lines at the same time for the fish might have swum up or down. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z My heart begins to race as his thumb traces along my jawline, as he leans closer to me. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z “Remember that big zit I had on my chin this morning? It’s all gone,” Tiara said, rubbing her thumb over her chin. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z Suddenly he plucked his hard thumbs out of his neighbor’s throat. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z She hands me the envelope, and I quickly thumb through the contents. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z I felt it with my thumb and fingers. The Sun Also Rises 1926-10-22T00:00:00Z Fingers wove their way through my long hair, thumbs gliding along my cheeks. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z It was as long as Will’s forearm, and as thick as his thumb. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z Em took two fingers and hooked one of his thumbs, squeezing. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z He felt the structure of the veins, the pulse of its misfortune, and felt the damp palm with a lifeline cut off at the base of the thumb by the claws of death. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z “And listening to Taylor Swift,” Bianca adds, talking around her thumb. The Hate U Give 2017-02-28T00:00:00Z He stands and presses his lips to mine, his mouth open, his hands on my bare hips, his thumbs slipping under the top of my jeans. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z Smoothing his thin mustache with thumb and forefinger, Grandpa grinned big. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z She wriggled to him and clamped her thumb on the vein that was gushing. Julie of the Wolves 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z I jab my thumb to point so they know where I am talking about. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z Norman Bowker, otherwise a very gentle person, carried a thumb that had been presented to him as a gift by Mitchell Sanders. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z He rubbed her head with his thumb, and she shook her ears. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z Corporal Whitcomb’s mud-caked shoes were on the chaplain’s blanket, and he was eating one of the chaplain’s candy bars as he thumbed with a sneering expression through one of the chaplain’s Bibles. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z “She seems all thumbs and tears. They be such fools, those Irish.” Lyddie 1991-02-01T00:00:00Z He knew that he had to have emptied the horn this time, and yet when he lowered the horn from his lips, it had gone down by only the length of his thumb. Norse Mythology 2017-02-07T00:00:00Z As she thumbed through the documents, the elation on her face dissolved into frustration. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Vivian plucked a single peanut from the bowl and held it between her thumb and forefinger and studied it for a while. Silent To The Bone 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Quickly I clamp my right thumb and forefinger around his windpipe. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z They were all executed, and the aunt whose thumbs were twisted off drowned herself. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z And when the blur in my eyes finally vanishes, I see it, sticking up like a hitchhiker’s thumb. Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z I trace a set of tiny lines etched along her thumb. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z “Okay,” Bloom said sweetly to the little waif sucking her thumb in the doorway, “it’s okay now.” The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z “Fine,” he said, holding up his hand with his thumb and forefinger curled in. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z His thumb brushed lightly over her full lips. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z “They do nothing but thumb their prayer beads and recite a book written in a tongue they don’t even understand.” The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z Apa jerks his thumb at the door and asks, What does this say? A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z She sticks her wrinkly, wet thumb back in her mouth. The Hate U Give 2017-02-28T00:00:00Z Varys lifted the knife with exaggerated delicacy and ran a thumb along its edge. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z A wild smear of his thumb for the brush. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z He’s typing in a command, pressing his thumb to the screen for print recognition, speaking a string of letters and numbers in response to a prompt. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z And Rich grins, gestures his thumb toward my mother, and says to me, “Can you believe what comes out of her mouth? Now I know where you get your sweet, tactful nature.” The Joy Luck Club 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z He put his thumb in his mouth and leaned against Amari. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z His skin grew clammy as his lips tried to form them, and yet again he watched Koffi's circling thumb. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z Annabelle taps her thumb to the tips of her fingers, one after the other. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z You started with the pinkie and worked over to the thumb. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z An arc of gushing puncture wounds encircled her thumb, and she swayed on her feet as she shoved the ridderak off her. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z Then she puts her thumb on one of my creeping-caterpillar eyebrows and tries to smooth out the curly hair. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z It was a wreck, thumbed and gripped to the point the cover was coming off. Burning Blue 2012-10-25T00:00:00Z He went through a plant phase, which didn’t last too long because he said his thumb just wasn’t green enough. Missing May 1992-03-01T00:00:00Z Her thumbs flew, then she looked up, squinting just as hard as Chess. The Strangers 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z He was for once without words himself, and he pressed the tobacco diligently into a ball between his thumb and forefinger, and picking up his pipe he fitted the tobacco into the bowl. The Good Earth 1931-03-02T00:00:00Z Seeing my focus, he plucked his necklace between thumb and forefinger and flicked it into the air. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z He picked at a flaky piece of skin on his thumb. One Crazy Summer 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z Danny and my brother hog the mirror and make gruesome faces by sticking their thumbs into the sides of their mouths and pulling the edges of their eyelids down so that the red shows. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z She clicked her tongue ruefully and, noticing the dandruff on her shirt, began flicking away the largest flakes with her thumb. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z As he took the crystal, his thumb brushed her palm, leaving a drop of water in the creases of her hand. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour, if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler's thumb. The Great Gatsby 1925-04-10T00:00:00Z “Give me a solution for this, then: motel rooms have doors. We don’t have opposable thumbs. We have paws. We can’t grasp and turn a doorknob.” Dog Squad 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z For all the times that Maya had thought about her biological family, she had wondered whether or not they looked alike, if they had the same laugh or smile or double-jointed thumbs. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z So I reach over, wipe away his tear with the side of my thumb, and say the only words I know will calm him: ‘““Frog, you are looking quite green.” Rules 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z Matthew yelled back, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z With a jerk of her thumb, she orders the medics into the warehouse. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z Could still feel his thumb exploring her palm. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z “Thank God he doesn’t have opposing thumbs,” my friend said. This Side of Wild 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Kate caught a single thread of hair with fingernails of thumb and forefinger and gently drew it out. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z Using the tips of her forefinger and thumb like a pair of forceps, she pulled at it and discovered a ten-ride pass for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z Dr. Spires pushed the plunger with his thumb and withdrew the needle. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z But the image of the fist and thumb remained in Stanley's head. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z She set a cigarette between her lips and thumbed a wooden match to light it, blew out the match and put it back in her jacket pocket. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Two cars passed by, but I was too dazed to stick out my thumb. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z The brown ink came away in flakes when Jon brushed it with his thumb. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z Jack leaned on the blacked-out window, trying to scratch it with his thumb. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z With his thumb and index finger, Dr. Spires grasped a fold of Fig’s skin high on the back of the neck and pinched firmly, tenting the skin. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z As he told me later, when the motor took, the crank could move suddenly and break a man’s thumb if his thumb was around it. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z His right hand was jammed deep into his pocket, his thumb flattened against his leg. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z Harry held his stuffed egg and mashed the yellow with his thumb. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z With his right thumb and finger pinching the $20 bill, he reaches his left hand into his left pocket and pulls out a lighter. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z He sank back into the pillows, hooked his thumbs in his belt. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z For the first few minutes I concentrated on die circular light, but finally, drawing in my chin, I looked down to see that Luce was holding the crocus between his thumb and forefinger. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z Miranda said, taking a step closer to Naomi and plucking the sleeve of Gilbert’s jacket between index finger and thumb. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z Sliding your thumb along the underside of my breasts. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z I held up my thumb and finger, as far apart as I could get ’em. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z The only remnants of the wounds was a half-moon-shaped scar between her thumb and index finger and little bite marks from the ridderak’s lower teeth. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z Henry put his thumbs in the armholes of his vest and leaned back in his chair. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z Like Dad used to do in church, I place a bead between my pointer finger and thumb and rub my fingers over its surface. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z He lay awake, thinking about the needle jabbing into his thumb, thinking about Ebola starting its inevitable replication in his bloodstream. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z “Like this,” he said to Joaquin one afternoon, and had tucked his thumb carefully around Joaquin’s small hand so that it was a perfect, solid fist. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z A tour guide tells them that after the Taj was completed, each of the builders, twenty-two thousand men, had his thumbs cut off so that the structure could never be built again. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z He hooks his thumb on the waistband and pulls his underwear down. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z She carried a little book in her hand, thumbing the edges while looking at me shyly. The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z It’s bandaged from around my thumb to just shy of my elbow. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z He walked down the highway with his thumb high in the air, and he didn’t look back. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z I saw her thumb my ID card over. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z She was absentmindedly twisting her ponytail around and around one thumb. Chasing Vermeer 2004-06-01T00:00:00Z How can you describe my bright eyes, the strength of my hand as I gripped my mother’s thumb? Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He chews the skin around his thumb for a second before adding, “But it’s my fault we had to leave HC.” Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z Holly Deblin gripped my slightly big ears in her fingers and thumbs and steered my mouth to hers. Black Swan Green 2006-04-10T00:00:00Z She touched the end of the strip to a damp sponge, then, using the thumb and first two fingers of each hand as a rolling machine, she wound the paper on the wire. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z He had injured one of the tendons that led to his thumb. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z But I think we would be served equally well with six fingers including a thumb, or four fingers including a thumb, or maybe five fingers and two thumbs. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z I straightened the broken wing then gently pressed my thumb to its toothpick rib cage. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z Biff waited stolidly, his elbow resting on the counter and his thumb mashing the tip of his long nose. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z I carefully pressed the thorns off their stems with my forefinger and thumb before laying them on the cradle of her shirt. Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z I stared at the mark, rubbing my thumb over its raised surface. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z She twirled the feather between her thumb and forefinger. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z He thumbed one of the strings, nudged the tuning peg a little higher. Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z He stuck out his thumb and pressed the button. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 1964-09-12T00:00:00Z I wiped a tear from her jawline, just above her birthmark, with the pad of my thumb. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z “It’s like naming someone Mommy Loves You. No wonder that kid still sucks her thumb.” Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z He kept his eyes on the arm of the desk, tracing circles into it with his thumb and pointer finger. Harbor Me 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z He rolls it across his fingers, holds it between thumb and forefinger and touches it to Carmine’s nose, then clasps it in his closed fist. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z “These all have information about dragons in them,” Ivan said, pulling a book from the stack and thumbing through it. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z He swipes his thumb across the phone, and I can spot a blue text message box on the screen. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z She held her thumb over the keyboard for a long time. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z Nicasia held my hand above the baby’s face and tucked my thumb, ring, and little fingers into my palm. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z “Jax is his own person, so don’t you start comparing him to anyone else. He’s been a big help to me today. Jax, this here’s Sis,” Ma says, jabbing her thumb in the woman’s direction. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z Mother took the ring off of my thumb and put it to her lips. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z I hunched over, sucked my injured thumb, and limped on. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z He jabbed his thumb at the on/off button. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics 2016-01-05T00:00:00Z He wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs and kisses me on the lips. Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z He smiled and real slow pulled the thumb and finger away. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z The three of them dashed up the hall and entered the stinky room where Charles was sitting in a vibrating pedestal chair, thumbing his controller. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library 2013-06-25T00:00:00Z Smoit stopped in the middle of the chamber, threw back his cloak, and hooked his thumbs into the enormous bronze belt which strained to bursting about his middle. The Black Cauldron 1965-06-01T00:00:00Z He thumbs through newspaper clippings, pulls one out. The Boy Who Dared 2008-02-01T00:00:00Z And pretty soon everybody was saying it, including Hester and Lester; and, finally, in the kitchen one day, as he licked white icing from her thumb, Mrs. Beale said it: “You that Maniac?” Maniac Magee 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z He patted him on the shoulder and gave him the thumbs- up sign. Fallen Angels 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z I roll my thumb over the volume dial. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z She holds my hand and rubs her thumb along the top of it. The Hate U Give 2017-02-28T00:00:00Z With his thumbs he traced circles under my eyes. Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z He touched the stars at his collar with his thumb and forefinger. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z He shook it, he took it apart again and put it back together, he kept his thumb on the power button until it hurt. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z His hand was out, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z I grabbed his thumb and twisted it backward. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z He dropped his gaze to where his thumb was tracing patterns in the woodwork of the table. When Dimple Met Rishi 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z Christoffel stares at his thumb, at a vicious hangnail rubbed red from repeated worrying. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z The doctor straightens up and hooks his thumbs in his pockets. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z He stopped whittling and checked the blade against his thumb. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z Mulch withdrew his thumbs and, after a quick wipe, thrust them in his mouth, allowing the natural balm in his saliva to begin the healing process. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z He rubs my palm with his thumb like he did two summers ago beneath the stars. We Were Liars 2014-05-13T00:00:00Z Finally he pulled out a brown spiral notebook with a torn cover; he thumbed through the pages slowly, moving his lips slightly. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z He kept his arms at his sides, his ears open, his silver blues harp tight between his left thumb and pointer finger. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground 2017-05-09T00:00:00Z I lingered behind, and when their backs were turned, I rounded on the girl and thumbed both ears at her. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z Alex leans back, thumbing the stitching on the armrest of the chair. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z He chipped at it with the nail of his thumb. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z Knowing I’d drawn blood, I smeared my thumb across the glass and spoke a binding. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z If genetic modules are so autonomous, then why—to turn Morgan’s riddle on its head—are legs not growing out of fly’s heads, or humans not born with thumbs emerging from our noses? The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z “I’m a captain,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z She put her eyes back on the newspaper, licked her thumb, then flipped the page. All American Boys 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Once Aunt Queen had found Gerald curled up behind the couch sucking his thumb. Forged by Fire 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z Her eyelids were swollen and pink, and she was pinching on her lower lip with forefinger and thumb, an old sign with Briony that some serious weeping was to be done. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z He could draw the hammer back with his thumb and take another shot. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z As a reward, I let him suck his thumb in peace all the way home. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z “Mighty blocks of ice, gripped between meeting floes, rose slowly until they jumped like cherrystones squeezed between thumb and finger,” Shackleton wrote. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World 1998-11-17T00:00:00Z His finger and thumb closed on her pulse, as I thought instinctively and unconsciously, as she spoke:— Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z The centaur came up grinning, covered in swamp muck and blue paint, and gave Tyson two thumbs up. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z Jake rubs his thumb over his tattoo, then turns to look at me with a sad smile that’s like a dagger to my heart. Internment 2019-03-07T00:00:00Z Then she gave it back to me and, in one motion, yanked Cherish’s thumb from her mouth. Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z Poke my chest with my thumbs to call them over. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z He rubs one of his eyes with his thumb. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z Father put his thumb against his palm instead of putting it around the crank. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Laney was standing on the ground with her blanket in her hand and a thumb in her mouth. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z He felt the point of his spear with his thumb and grinned without amusement Whoever tried that would be stuck, squealing like a pig. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z He gently rubbed the head of his serpent dæmon with his thumb. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z His thumb stops tapping, and he looks at me, and then he twines his fingers through mine. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z When she waved, Roy gave her two thumbs up and chuckled, because it was pretty funny—Beatrice the Bear waving at Tex, the new kid. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Qhorin tested the edge of his sword with the ball of his thumb. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z The man opened his eyes—obviously he had not been asleep at all—smiled at the boys, and jerked his thumb in a direction which pointed further up the glade. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z He touches my shoulder, the pad of his thumb grazing where the fabric meets the skin. The Belles 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z “He was very famous in my country,” Qendrim explained as he thumbed through the book one afternoon. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference 2009-04-21T00:00:00Z All her nails looked raw and chewed, not just her thumb. Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z Your thumb touched the bottom of my bra and your pinky touched the top of my underwear. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z Her thumb found her mouth and she gazed solemnly at the little yellow flame. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z The clean-jawed spook reached down and twisted Shadow’s ear between finger and thumb. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z “Let him suck thumb,” my mother said, now almost out of the house. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z A young officer sitting with Stranger did say, as he stirred his brandy-and-water with his thumb, that he hoped before long thus to stir Yankee blood—and what of that? Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z Any number of times he said “Ftt” to me and I ignored him, and barreled on across the upraised thumb of New Hampshire. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z With a chuckle he added, “The little one almost took the guy’s thumb off.” Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Porky snapped—literally, since he clicked his fingers to his thumbs like crab claws. The Mark of Athena 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z “You go away like this,” he pointed to the thumb, “and come back like this,” he touched the little finger. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z His intensity and loneliness are, and so are the gun magazines that she sometimes sees him thumbing through during boring lectures, and the way he doesn’t even seem to feel guilty for what he did. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z On one of the tables there are some thumbed Reader's Digest and Maclean's magazines, and on another an ashtray, white with a rosebud trim. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z But he keeps tapping his thumbs on his phone. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z I lean back and rub my thumb over her knuckles. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z Shadow took the quarter he had used for the coin-toss from the table, enjoying the sensation of a freshly milled coin against his fingers, producing it in his right hand between forefinger and thumb. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z She brushed her thumb gently over the bumps and ridges. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Now Em started picking at the cuticle on her thumb. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z I used to catch her thumbing through the book late at night when I was supposed to be asleep. The Belles 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z When he was asked how he had lived so long, he said he "found refuge on God's thumb." Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z I run my fingers over his thumb, fascinated by the missing nail, which Lefty has always told me a monkey bit off at the zoo. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z A bead of crimson was coming up on Bod’s thumb. The Graveyard Book 2008-09-30T00:00:00Z I woke up to a burning flashlight beam stabbing my eyes as Joey Cosentino thumbed one of my eyelids up and whispered, “Nah, he’s alive.” Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z Finally, after a bunch of times of me doing that in a row, she jerked her thumb toward the door. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Since he was unable to grow large crystals of horse myoglobin, he initially hoped I might have a greener thumb. Double Helix 1968-02-27T00:00:00Z She grasps each hardened point firmly between thumb and forefinger and pulls one breast so that its nipple points at the ceiling. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z I bit my thumb nail, watching Frank out of the tail of my eye. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z He tossed one to Shadow, who caught it, and, realizing that a small boy was watching him, held it up between forefinger and thumb and vanished it. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z “I have gone temporarily deaf and haven’t any idea what you said, Harry,” said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z Biff pushed up the end of his nose with his thumb and shaved his upper lip. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z He made out like he was only pinching it, but he was really getting the old thumb right in there. The Catcher in the Rye 1951-07-16T00:00:00Z “With your other hand, don’t grab the instrument. Use your first two fingers to make a mouth with your thumb around the slide.” Muffled 2020-10-27T00:00:00Z Suddenly Julius saw the Emperor point first to one tiger, then to the other, and turn his thumb down. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z With her thumb in her handkerchief she blocked the beadless nostril. The God of Small Things 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z He rubbed his thumb over the bright-blue ink of his prison mark, as if that could make it disappear. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z There was a dark stain about the size of a thumb print on one of the brass handles. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z He stroked the raven's head with his thumb, and the bird made a contented quorking sound. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z His thumb knew the exact weight in ounces which it would have to exert on the near side of the fulcrum. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z He held it a moment, casually enough, between thumb and finger, as if deciding whether or not to give it to me. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z The white man jerked his thumb toward the end of the passage. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z Ali pulled his arm back so I could pass and pointed his thumb into the storage room. The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z The dockers banged their thumbs down on their stopwatches. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z He has a tattoo of a devil’s head on his left forearm and a tattoo of a dagger on the back of his right hand between the thumb and forefinger. Monster 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z Always she had a stuffed hard-boiled egg and she would hold it in her hand, mashing the yellow with her thumb so that the print of her finger was left there. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z It's made from bone, she realized, running a thumb carefully along its pale white edge. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z I roll my fuzzy souvenir between my thumb and finger and can’t help but smile. Inside Out and Back Again 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z His thumbs were getting numb from the shelling. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z ‘Bah ... these midwives! Any doctor in Boston would have known ... You see, the thumb is pulled about like that, not because of any basic injury, but by scar tissues.’ Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z Then he passed in front of the jury box with his thumbs once again hooked inside of his suspenders and his one good eye leaking tears. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z Max is speed-walking now, her thumbs hooked under the backpack straps on her chest. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z With trembling hands, her grandmother had pressed her thumbs to the tears streaming down Ashima’s face, wiping them away. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z He pulls his wrist free and, to my surprise, rests his hand on the side of my face, his thumb skimming my cheekbone. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z She made a circle with her plump thumb and forefinger. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z I took his hand in mine and rubbed my finger over his constellation birthmark, a smattering of freckles in the crook of his thumb, our silent message only he and I know. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z Let’s see what you have in your closet She opened the closet doors and started thumbing through the clothes f had hanging there, giving little motherly comments. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z "They have a new racket around here," he said, twirling the match between his finger and thumb. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z She’d totally give the thumb of her throwing hand to hear those words spoken to her. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z A thumb slid up the side of her breast. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z I lit my lantern, reached for a notebook, and thumbed through its pages. Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z Sure enough, there was Janina in the middle of the street, squatting on her haunches, hurling her voice, thumbing her nose at Buffo, taunting him in perfect imitation of me. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z She picked up a droopy bean between her thumb and forefinger. George 2015-08-25T00:00:00Z She pulls out her phone and presses some buttons with her thumb, and we both look up, watching clouds—or, in my case, planes. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z With her thumb, she points to the father and son in line behind us. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z She bit reflectively at the cuticle of her thumb. Nine Stories 1953-04-06T00:00:00Z After I unwrapped the red paper and rolled the bead about between thumb and fingers, they took it back for safekeeping. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z He put his thumb between her eyebrows and tried to smooth out the frown. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z When he took her hand in his and ran his thumb down the center of her palm, the blood in her veins seemed to freeze. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Then, with finger and thumb, he lifted Sophie out of his ear and placed her on the window-ledge with her legs dangling just inside the room, but behind the curtains. The BFG 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Kate pulled the light chain with her gloved hand, holding it deep in the crotch between her thumb and forefinger as though her hand were artificial. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z The day he took his leave of her, as she was bidding him farewell, he had brushed the balls of his thumbs lightly across them, back and forth. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z The old man encircled the neck of the gourd with his thumb and index finger and gave it a shake. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Zaman rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z I swing my hand into the air, holding up my thumb hitchhiker style, and shout out, “Can I get a ride?” Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z In the afternoon, after the girl comes home from prekindergarten class, they thumb through picture books and play. Enrique's Journey 2006-02-21T00:00:00Z Mandy would be desperate if she knew I hadn’t eaten in three days and if she knew I was under the thumb of a monster like Hattie. Ella Enchanted 1998-09-01T00:00:00Z He rubs his thumb once across my knuckle and then cocoons my finger in the palm of his hand. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z Thinking it over, I raised my hand over my head with my middle finger and thumb extended, signaling that I had a slot five days from now that I was willing to sell. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He showed Dany an iron bracelet he had found, set with a uncut fire opal the size of her thumb. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z Before showing it to me he thumbs through it, contemplative, reminiscent; then, “Here,” he says, laying it open on the desk in front of me. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z He just stare at me and jab his finger, then snap his thumb like he firing a gun at me. Girls Like Us 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z She smiles and runs her thumb along my cheek. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z It was a strange brew of mercy and madness that had my thumb moving from the birds chest, had both thumbs moving to its neck. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z He thumbed through various basic encyclopedia entries on the zebra. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z I had a pretty intense bandage taped over the space between my finger and thumb. A Very Large Expanse of Sea 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z Afterward, I stare at the eight pages I’ve already written about walking to Hotstack with Constantine, the puzzles we worked on together, her pressing her thumb in my hand. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z He flicks his thumb and forefinger, motioning for the station wagon to pass. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z He drags his thumb under his eyes, catching the moisture. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z “It’s early,” Nora is saying, thumbing through her phone as she climbs out behind him in a plunging black jumpsuit and killer heels. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z “I know,” Alex tells him again, reaching up to smooth out Henry’s brow with the pad of his thumb. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z Under her hand, she could feel him dragging his thumb over the worry stone again and again. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z The boy kept his thumb in his mouth and nodded, eyes round. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Seaweed is the secret behind her green thumb; she calls it Mother Nature’s Slug Repellent. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z The cut on my thumb was almost healed. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Waiting for the song to finish, I run my thumb along an edge of my word cards. Rules 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z Clarissa came in in the middle of me rubbing my wet thumb on the paper, adding a little light to a dark area. All American Boys 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z Never mind that if Joey so much as flicked her with his forefinger and thumb, he’d propel her into next week. Lawn Boy Returns 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z “No. I tried everywhere. The relief centers are empty. I saw a grown man sitting on the floor in front of one building and sucking his thumb,” he said. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z Christina and I have been sitting against one of the walls, playing a game in which each of us tries to pin down the other s thumb. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z But in both my Mom bag and my Dad bag I carry notebook paper and pencils, a phone charger, a wallet, a USB thumb drive, and my books. Blended 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z George lifted the paper carefully and held it at her side between a finger and her thumb. George 2015-08-25T00:00:00Z Nearly every Sunday afternoon that year, I thumbed rides to War to visit Dorothy for study sessions. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z A moment later, Tobias’s thumb brushes over the injection site in my neck, and a few things come together at once. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z Her thumb hurt so bad where the nail had broken that it was all she could do not to cry. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z He seemed to be studying the shape they made, the way my thumb appeared to rest naturally on top of his. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z The two women whom Ignatius indicated ambled slowly to the cutting table, gingerly took the banner with their thumbs and index fingers, and held it between them as if it were a leper’s shroud. A Confederacy of Dunces 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z I thumbed through my closet and picked out a pleated emerald-green skirt with a crisply ironed white shirt. The Red Umbrella 2010-04-25T00:00:00Z My father just stood there, all cool, telling the story with his thumbs tucked in like a ghetto cowboy. When I Was the Greatest 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z Roger motioned over his shoulder with his thumb and said, “Picked it up downstream.” The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z He handed his cigarette to the guy next to him, made a circle with the thumb and index finger of one hand. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z It has spaces big enough for my thumbs to get into and millions of words and phrases built into it! Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z I thumbed through the Reader’s Digests and found a stack of National Geographies from the 1960s, but the box was covered in so much dust that I knew Margo had never been inside it. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z Miles rolled a french fry between his thumb and index finger. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z He pinched his lower lip with his thumb and index finger, and pulled it back and forth in small tugs. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z The iguanodon’s thumb has been placed on its nose, as a kind of spike, and it stands on four sturdy legs, making it look like a rather stout and awkwardly overgrown dog. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z He lifted his hand and rubbed away the tears roughly with a callused thumb. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z She tried rubbing her thumb against it like she’d just watched him do to make the flame appear, but she couldn’t make it work. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z Choosing a magazine from a rack beneath her chair, she began to thumb through an old edition of The Saturday Evening Post. The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z I licked my thumb and crouched down to rub some of the black marker off. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z The pain was far worse than anything he’d felt before—it made the broken thumb feel like a mosquito bite in comparison. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z “Keep these four fingers over the hilt, and your thumb flat. Both your elbows should be tucked in, legs apart...” Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z Instead, he reaches out to adjust the side mirror with his thumb. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z “His name is Doc,” she says, her thumbs tucked into the waist of her pants, either to hold them up or so she can easily get to her piece. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z Billy rolled the lids back from the mare’s eyes with his thumb and forefinger. The Red Pony 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z One of the younger boys lay on his back, sucking his thumb. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z High John thumbed his belt buckle and frowned. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z And no use just sitting there twiddling his thumbs till they needed him to hand up powder. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z The BFG picked Sophie up between one finger and a thumb and placed her gently in the palm of the other hand. The BFG 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z I burned my thumb just taking the lid off, the whole can oven hot and reeking. The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2012-02-07T00:00:00Z Kamal reaches out at last and takes my hand in his, his thumb against my wrist, on my pulse. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z She knew that if she moved her hand quickly enough she could stick her forefinger and thumb into the fish’s gills and, in a swift movement, lift it out of the water. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z He rubbed his thumb against the page to make a shadow and kept sketching. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z Rubio has removed his gloves and is picking at the skin on the corner of his thumb. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z My thumb was not very high in the air. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z All through the fall, I thumbed over to War every Sunday afternoon so Dorothy and I could work on plane geometry. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z “Hello,” she said curiously, thumbing on the switch and pointing the light toward the wall. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z That night in the hotel Sonia wakes up screaming that her own thumbs are missing. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z Lenny jutted a thumb at the meek little gray muzzle and stiff jackrabbit ears. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z Mama appeared almost dazed with fatigue as she explained all this, but Akira just calmly twirled his thumbs. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z I roll it gently between my thumb and forefinger. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z Then, with a press of Enoch’s thumb against the clay man’s tiny chest, he came to life. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z When her granddaughters return, Celia presses her thumb against the rotting onions, indenting them. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z Four holds a syringe with a long needle in one hand, his thumb against the plunger. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z Run my thumb down the side of my nose, the way I’ve seen the cats on the block doing. X: A Novel 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Lena shows us how to use our thumbs to smooth the slime down around the edges as we go. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z I thumb through the pages of her medical journals looking for highlighted passages. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z “What a beautiful day it is, nay?” he said, thumb hooked in the breast pocket of his vest, the other hand extended toward Soraya. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z Saw him twisting the razor handle and opening the twin safety latches on the head, sliding the blade out, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z Too many tamales, but Uncle Nacho says too many this and tilts his thumb to his lips. The House on Mango Street 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z The dagger’s warm heft is comforting in my hand, and I test the edge on my thumb. An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z He held the stem between his thumb and forefinger and let it drop. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He had bounced her in his arms, run his thumb over her flaky eyebrows, and hummed a lullaby. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z They were rotary latches with wings for your thumb. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z Once he sank his teeth into the boy’s thumb and made it bleed. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z He made a circle with his thumb and finger. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He bares his gums, revealing perfect, peppermint-Orbit-white teeth, and his mom licks both her thumbs and smooths back his eyebrows. Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z He rubs his thumb across mine, tracing a path from knuckle to wrist. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z He tapped the wrinkle between her brows with his thumb. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z He stuck the pad of his thumb accidentally on to a thorn. I'm the King of the Castle 1970-09-03T00:00:00Z Evelyn tried to control people by controlling weapons, but Jeanine was more ambitious—she knew that when you control information, or manipulate it, you don’t need force to keep people under your thumb. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z “No more hiding your thumb drive in your tampon box,” Jenna said. Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z I roll one last sand grain, perfect and sharp, between my finger and thumb. Rules 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z I rolled the corner of the label off my beer bottle with my thumb, reminding myself that I was doing this for Elle. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z In I went, pushing the door back so the hinges cried out, devils, their thumbs crushed, their pointed noses tweezed. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z Ruth stood at my side and stared so hard, her thumb fell out of her mouth. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z The peak looked to him exactly like a giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z Along the line of my thumb there was a dark streak from the pencil. Okay for Now 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z Cora and Ridgeway returned to the wagon to find Homer rubbing his small thumbs on the reins and Boseman sipping whiskey from a bottle. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z Then she added another line under his eye and licked her thumb to wipe away a smudge. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z “Not as corny as your boys across the street, though,” he says, pointing his thumb back at the Darcy house. Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z His thumb was pressed against the edge of the tablet. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z The crowd jeered and hollered and pointed their thumbs down. The Mark of Athena 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z Her face streaked with tears, Lupita looked down at her baby brother, who had stopped crying the instant she had taken him and who was now sucking his thumb. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z In answer Eric slowly reached up to the lapel of his blazer and turned it back with a finger and thumb. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z I hunched down and thumbed through the stack of envelopes. Liar, Liar 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z His finger picks at the side of his thumb. Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z He picked up one of the books and thumbed through the heavy bloated pages. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z Axel pulls up his sweatshirt’s hood, loops one thumb under each backpack strap. A Bird Will Soar 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z Max points her thumb at the white cap covering her head of wires. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z She picked up a small gear in one hand and a small spring—so sharp at the ends it made a point of blood bloom on her thumb—in the other. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z His eyes were closed, his fingers wrapped around Mama’s hand, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. The Rock and the River 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z But she found herself reminded, again and again, of the pale, long-lashed eyes that had looked up at her briefly, and of the small fingers that had encircled her thumb. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z When she turned back to me, she picked up my hand and ran her thumb against my open palm. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z He did this thing where he grabbed the skin on my arms and pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and twisted hard. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z By next morning Grandpa had found a way to thumb his nose at the whole dang town, so pious and hypocritical: he started giving out invites to Sunday morning preachin’ at his house. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z They made a pop! and squirted red when we squeezed them between thumb and fingernail. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z I follow the line of my thumb instead and gash myself. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z The worst for me was the painful aikido grip where you placed your thumb between victim’s pointer finger and middle finger, grabbed his thumb, and twisted his hand up under his armpit. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He held out his left hand with the thumb and forefinger curved round, indicating the gap between them to be about as long as the thumb itself. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z My surprise doesn’t last, because he holds his thumb and forefinger apart by an inch. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed through my box full of cassette tapes, but couldn’t settle on anything. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 2012-02-21T00:00:00Z He picked the insect up very gently between his thumb and forefinger and held him out for his parents to see. The Cricket in Times Square 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z “I gotta go,” Digger said, pulling his thumbs from his pockets and turning away while I stood there like an idiot, watching him. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z She lay sucking her thumb and listening to the conversation. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z “It would be a lot easier if everyone just listened to me,” he suggested, and jerked his thumb toward the door. Dead End in Norvelt 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z He glanced at the school building, then pointed his thumb at it. The Rock and the River 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z A useful rule of thumb in this regard is to forget the adults and pay attention to the behavior of the children. Circumference 2008-11-25T00:00:00Z The boy didn’t answer, just examined his sore thumb. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z Horace had seen Art this way before, chewing his Juicy Fruit and grimacing, rubbing his lips with the ball of his thumb and squinting while he thought things over. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z The man wiped the dust from the caps of the jars and pushed on the lids with his thumb. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He said that poking his thumb at me. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z My fingers were barely working by then, but I got the matchbox open and dumped a few out and managed to pinch one between my thumb and a numb finger. The Honest Truth 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z “Let me try to explain it again,” Milo offered with growing weariness and exasperation, jerking his thumb toward the thief with the sweet tooth, still grinning beside him. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z “I once knew a girl in my village who was born with an extra thumb.” Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z I happen to have a short but slender thumb, and that proves I’m really compatible with a short, slender man with “average” endowments. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Like a miracle, the pain in my thumb disappeared. Fourth Grade Rats 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Others sat in the shade, wearing out their thumbs on Game Boys. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z In one hole, he’d found only a tangle of leaves and berries, and in another, a mousetrap, which snapped on his thumb. Ruby Holler 2002-02-01T00:00:00Z I choose my doll, once lent to a neighbor who left it outside, where mice bit her left cheek and right thumb. Inside Out and Back Again 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z His maimed hands, two fingers and thumb remaining on each, were deft and quick. Code Name Verity 2012-05-15T00:00:00Z The girl with the dolly leaned against Mrs. Rimas and sucked her thumb. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z “So strong they gripped my own thumb fiercely and would not let go. Feeling that fierce tug on my thumb, I could not let them take you away. I simply told them no.” Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z “Well, hello to you too, Mr. Corcoran,” he said, sitting down and giving us the OK signal with thumb and forefinger. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z I squeeze the tissue harder on my thumb to concentrate. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z One side was a curved groove that Otto’s thumb slid into naturally for a better grip. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z Maya flopped down on the bed and pressed her thumb against Claire’s face in the photo, scrunching up her nose. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z He reaches out a hand for me and his hand comes out sort of sideways, thumb crooked up. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z He pulled his bunk away from the wall and tipped up a box he kept on the floor; soon, wriggling between his thumb and pinky was a small cockroach. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z When we came up on Bunker Six, Azar lifted his thumb and peeled away from me and began circling to the south. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z I pressed my thumb into his hardened flesh and he didn’t even feel it. Tuesdays with Morrie 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z To quell my feelings of hopelessness and anger, I chewed on the side of my thumb until it was raw. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z And then with our eyes wide open but confined in that way my thumb slipped inside her. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z “You made me do that!” said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z You kept your clothes until they were part of you, you checked the hemlines, the way the buttons were sewed on, you rubbed the cloth between your finger and thumb. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z Placing Shirley’s thumb on a key, the Señora pressed it down to summon a note. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson 1984-10-12T00:00:00Z It feels good in the crook of my thumb. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z He smoothed the bill with his thumb, shook his head. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z Maribel’s got a thumb and pointer finger in her mouth, blowing loud and strong. The House That Lou Built 2018-06-12T00:00:00Z He laid the cravat on Mr. Sharpe’s bed and folded it carefully, running his thumbs over the creases. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z Bloom brushed the poisonous fog away from his face, went over to check the ax blade . . . and promptly cut his thumb. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Almost straight ahead of him, he could see what looked like a fist, with its thumb sticking up. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z "I never thought of it in just that way, Brother," I said, dangling the iron between my finger and thumb. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z A good rule of thumb when you drink with a subject is that you keep yourself twice as sober as he is. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z In this sense, the Art of Fugue and the St. Matthew Passion were, for the evolving organism of human thought, feathered wings, apposing thumbs, new layers of frontal cortex. The Lives of a Cell 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z “We’ll have to leave the show,” I say, wiping her tears with my thumbs. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z My thumb brushes against the blade of the knife. The Inquisitor's Tale 2016-09-27T00:00:00Z Then I said, “Here, you need the earbuds,” and I proceeded to put nothing into each one of his ears with the tips of my freezing thumbs. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z Some places were starting to wear smooth where I always stroked them with my thumb. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z “Tell me about it,” Mom said, pointing her thumb in my direction. The First Rule of Punk 2017-08-22T00:00:00Z “You have some good ones in here,” he said, thumbing through them. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z She was feeling as if there were two red thumbs behind her eyeballs, trying to push them out, and she did not want to look at him. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z Joaquin ran his thumb down the glass, leaving a dry stripe down the center of condensation. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z That is what the Bureau—and the entire government, probably—is doing: conditioning people to be happy under its thumb. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z “The rabbi’s here,” Pouncey announces with a thumb in my direction. Linked 2021-07-20T00:00:00Z He thumbed the lamp on and off while pointing it at different things around the room. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He had the only fat thumbs in Madrid. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z She slides her thumbs across my cheeks like she’s wiping away tears. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z You stand there with your thumb out and a person takes pity on you. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z He wipes a thumb across his mouth and smiles at me. Legend 2011-11-29T00:00:00Z He turned down his thumb lazily from his seat, and the net-wielding fighter kneeled beside the one on the ground and cut his throat with a short dagger. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z Mom pulls out of her parking spot and starts drumming her thumbs against the steering wheel as she inches through the traffic to exit. The Sea in Winter 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z He reaches across the table, brushes my knuckles with his thumb. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z He plucked out the plant and held it between his finger and thumb before grinding it into dust. City of the Plague God 2021-01-12T00:00:00Z “Their argument is persuasive,” Shmuel answered, his thumb and forefinger pointed at her like a gun. The Devil's Arithmetic 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z She saw it, the ring on my thumb. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z She placed her hand on mine and brushed her thumb back and forth across my skin. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z The message was a sealed envelope, waxed and marked with a thumbstrip as well, and Nailer had a chit for payment on delivery, if the captain was willing to thumb it. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z Ishtar rested her chin on her thumb as she inspected me. City of the Plague God 2021-01-12T00:00:00Z Silently, stoically, Joe thumbed up the guts, grabbing intestines and tearing them out, chucking the glop into the water. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Around his cuticles, tucked in the corner on his left thumb and forefinger. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z Fritz showed them such special blackberry patches that they could fill a quart without taking a single step, and each berry was the size of Mr. Chris’s thumb. Miracles on Maple Hill 1956-08-01T00:00:00Z He looked down at the street, scratching his spine with his thumb. Nine Stories 1953-04-06T00:00:00Z She stuck her thumb back in her mouth as if nothing had happened. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He didn’t reply, just brushed his thumb across his mouth in a move that reminded me of Father. The Rock and the River 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z Plainly Lawrence had placed his thumb on the scale. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z He rubbed her wrist softly now and then with the pad of his thumb. Genuine Fraud 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z With short, brisk strokes she evens the broken nail on her left thumb. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z He smiled without warmth, jabbing the crumpled folds of his shirt back down inside his trousers with his thumbs. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z He reaches out a hand and gently runs his thumb along my eyebrows the way Mama does sometimes. Dragons in a Bag 2018-10-23T00:00:00Z He crosses his arms, then tugs at the string around his throat with his thumb. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z Using his thumb, he drew the sign of the cross on my forehead with sacred oil and said a prayer for my soul. Courage to Soar 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z I jerked a thumb over my shoulder as the door slammed shut behind me. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z ‘Don’t push your luck, brother. Briares has fifty faces; all of them are ugly. He’s got a hundred hands, and he’s still all thumbs around the house.’ Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z She jerked her thumb toward the field, and we all hopped up. Tangerine 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z The clay man sat up and Enoch pushed it back down with his thumb. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z He caught my eye, grinned, and put his thumb up, the way my father did when he thought I’d done well. Homesick 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Often my father would rub my shirt between his thumb and fingers and ask, “Is this preppy?” Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z He wanted to turn and walk away and yet he only stood there, smiling and mashing his nose with his thumb. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z He grabbed the edge of his green cap between his thumb and index finger and tipped it to them. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates 2010-04-27T00:00:00Z Guenever saw it, however, or felt it in her heart She turned her thumb down, over the edge of the box, and secretly jabbed it downward several times. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z “Lightly but firmly. Fingers—not the wrist and arm—help guide the thumb and index.” Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z Papa Taps his thumb Against the horn When he sees friends And their families Gathered around barbecues. Neighborhood Odes 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z The Jewish Ordners were not as understanding as you’d think, being under the thumb of the Gestapo, and even the Polish police were watching closely. The Light in Hidden Places 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z They abandoned the car and hung their thumbs in the northbound lane. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z Two green thumbs that will grow into orange-yellow delights smelling of summer. Inside Out and Back Again 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z My sister pressed her handkerchief into my thumb. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z After what seemed like days, he had dug a hole scarcely large enough for his thumb. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z She just jams her thumb into the right button. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z “We’ve been living in Scotland for ten years. There, I sounded like everyone else, and then I came down here, and now I stick out like a sore thumb.” The Graveyard Book 2008-09-30T00:00:00Z Cade Hernandez raised his right hand in front of his chin, nodding confidently and gapping his thumb and index finger about three-fourths of an inch. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z He touches my cheek with his thumb, says, “It’s okay.” I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z I squeeze my thumb so the blood gathers in a perfect sphere before it collapses and slides toward the palm of my hand. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z The poor little thing had her thumb in her mouth. The Devil's Arithmetic 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Mom thumbed through my homework folder while our dinner whirled in the microwave. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed his nose at the relief act meant to help him, as though to claim his home was China was to make China indeed his home. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Charles, her heel in his hand, caught the glass between thumb and forefinger and pulled gently. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z “I think they have bandages in the Starlight Room. The cook asked for one after he cut his thumb.” The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z I reached for his hand, pressed my thumb against his wrist, and felt the blood going through his veins. We Were Liars 2014-05-13T00:00:00Z Before the war, people raised a thumb to say “One love” to each other, an expression popularized by the love and influence of reggae music. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z She ran her thumb across the pads of her fingers. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z The third is the history of how I broke my thumb at my mom’s church. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z Great black pig-iron pipes a man could crawl through small, bright brass pipes no bigger around than your thumb There was a vast network of stone tunnels, branching and connecting at odd angles. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Back in her apartment, she washed her hands with water so hot that it scalded her fingers, and a small soft welt flowered on her thumb. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z She had her head propped in her hand, index finger on her cheek and thumb under her chin. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z I jerked a thumb in the direction of Chubs. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z I had other debts to settle as well, and as much as I wanted to be out from under Devi’s thumb, I didn’t relish starting the semester without a bit of coin in my pocket. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Is there a simple rule of thumb that distinguishes a group with real social authority from a group with little power at all? The Tipping Point 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z “The pieces should be slightly bigger than the end of your thumb.” A Place at the Table 2020-08-11T00:00:00Z But instead I slipped the old photo of me standing still out of my pocket and rubbed it between my thumb and forefinger. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z I could not tell you what Pope Benedict XVI’s thumb looks like, whether some part of it isn’t there. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z She wrapped her fingers around his and touched his palm with her thumb. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z He rubbed the sleeve of Webb’s prehistoric shirt between his thumb and forefinger. Crash 1996-03-19T00:00:00Z They came to fields where the petals had fallen.These lay in drifts all over the ground while the seedpods they left behind stuck up like green thumbs. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Prized by perfumers and alchemists, a piece the size of your thumb was easily worth gold. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He touched each button carefully between thumb and forefinger, starting at her waist. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z As she sat there smoking her foul cigar and talking away, I kept looking at the hand with the missing thumb. The Witches 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z He turned from the window and watched Reilly thumbing through a looseleaf folder. A Confederacy of Dunces 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z “The boy I told you about when you cut your thumb.” The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z The sheriff shook his head and slipped his hands to his belt, where he hooked his thumbs over the buckle. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z He felt with his thumb in the painted wood of the mantle the pinholes from tacks that had held stockings forty years ago. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He circled her nipples with his thumbs, pinched them between thumb and forefinger, then began to pull at her, very lightly at first, then more insistently, until her nipples stiffened and began to ache. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z After a moment, I realized I had cut my thumb on the barbed wire and stopped, shocked. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z “No problem. Oh, by the way, there’s another little shock coming. Maybe the big baby would like to suck his thumb for comfort.” Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z On the desk, inside a crystal sphere with a flat bottom, was an eerie replica of a human skull no bigger than her thumb. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z When they open up, you can see a fleshy little mound, no bigger than the top of my thumb. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z Guy’s built like a bear, but he stood there, with his hands on his hips, thumbs forward, kicking at the edge of the Dumpster like he was checking a tire for air. All American Boys 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z "Be sucking my thumb next-" He looked round, furtively. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z I grabbed the magazine and thumbed through the pages, searching for the Jackson Five. P.S. Be Eleven 2013-05-21T00:00:00Z With my index finger and thumb, I played a sort of crane game and picked up pairs of underwear, touching them as little as possible. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z He turned one of her hands palm up and, with his thumb, drew little circles where the lines formed a star. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z One crossed her eyes, stuck her thumbs in both sides of her mouth and said, “Look here, Annie.” I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z The skin on the edge of my thumb rests on the cusp between safety and flame. Wintergirls 2009-03-19T00:00:00Z “So, these guys are my friends Jake and Tyler,” I said to Auggie, pointing my thumb back and forth at them. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z Lucky Girl did as she was told, her face frozen as she drove her own thumb into his palm and marked him well. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z Tomás put them in his pocket and, glaring at the young man, jabbed his thumb toward the rear door of the shop. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z “If you hold it like this, your thumb is safe. The down side is that you lose a lot of the mobility in your wrist.” The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He pulls the door shut and splits his book open with his thumb. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z She stuck her thumb back in her mouth and closed her eyes. One Crazy Summer 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z He spins the feather between his thumb and forefinger. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z He grasped the blade be-tween thumb and forefinger, drew it back over his shoul-der, and threw it across the room with a practiced flick of his wrist. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z He was quiet for a time, as if counting a pulse, then he patted the stomach, almost affectionately, and used Kiowa’s hunting hatchet to remove the thumb. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Still jumping, Adrienne nodded and pointed at herself with both thumbs. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z The antenna made you stick out like a sore thumb, and drew a lot of fire. Fallen Angels 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z They do nothing hut thumb their rosaries and recite a book written in a tongue they don’t even understand. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z A small red birthmark at the base of her left thumb. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z He turned to the lantern-jawed, leather-faced middle-aged man lying in the bed next to Dunbar’s jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said “Screw.” Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z I see Mom at the kitchen table, her empty lunch plate still in front of her, banging her phone keyboard with her thumbs. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z “The only reason Strait ain’t classified as an ape is ’cause he has an opposable thumb. The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Boys say it mostly, to one another; it suggests thumbs and babies. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z He stabs the point of his pin into my thumb. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z Frightful felt the jesses go taut as Sam gripped them between his thumb and forefinger. Frightful's Mountain 2001-05-21T00:00:00Z The boy obeyed and stuck out his arm, popping the thumb of his other hand into his mouth. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z He pressed down the ends of his mustache with his thumb and forefinger, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z Each seed was the size of a thumb bone and nestled in a flufly white coating. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z She waved her free hand at Ivy, her nails painted to match a rainbow—red thumb, orange forefinger, yellow middle finger, green ring finger, blue pinkie. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z I swear and stick my thumb in my mouth. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z Clever listened with his thumb in his mouth. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z “I’ll show you again. With your thumb and forefinger, you pinch off the top — like this, and then let your fingers strip the milk down—like this.” Orbiting Jupiter 2015-10-06T00:00:00Z Ruth was sound asleep in our hammock, thumb in her mouth. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z But then these electric currents start shooting up my arm, and he is rubbing my palm with his thumb, which makes the currents go shooting through the rest of me. All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z They waved and gave me the thumbs up sign. The Million Dollar Shot 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z Or perhaps she had been forced to jam her thumb down the spout of a boiling kettle until it was steamed away. The Witches 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z “Now I’m going to picture big hunks of thumb in our rice.” A Place at the Table 2020-08-11T00:00:00Z But Clara was so upset that she spent a week walking in her sleep and sucking her thumb. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z The fingers were blunt, callused, wiry black hairs grew between the knuckles, there was dirt under the nail of the thumb. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z But my thumbs came out with no flaws, no glitches. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z He takes the used-up cigarette from his lips and holds it between his thumb and finger. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z He reached out for the line and held it softly between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z She places a hand on top of my head and uses her thumb to smooth out the wrinkles on my forehead. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z But if you pull it out properly, with your thumb covering the neck, the water is retained within the sphere until you lift your thumb. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z The old man held up his right thumb, which Ranofer saw with a shock was hacked off at the first knuckle. The Golden Goblet 1961-04-24T00:00:00Z There was blood already—he’d stumbled and ripped open the tender web of skin at the base of his thumb on a jagged splinter—and buckets of sweat. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z Instead, she concentrates on the tap, tap, tap of her thumb to her fingers, and on the weight of the Saint Christopher medal in her pocket. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z In my daze, I noticed that my sooty thumb had left marks on the letter. Ella Enchanted 1998-09-01T00:00:00Z I batted my eyelashes and twirled around and made fists with my thumbs out, the way girls do. Crash 1996-03-19T00:00:00Z My thumb and index finger touch the cool grip. Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z Smithers pulled out the string, holding it between a pudgy finger and thumb. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z Pressing my fingertips hard against my hairline, my thumbs against my temples, I squeeze. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z It wasn’t like he broke my thumb or anything. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z As she shuffles forward, she taps her thumbs to each of her fingers. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z Captain Stewart wiped away some tobacco juice from his chin with his thumb. Fallen Angels 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Tears streamed down her face, and even though I couldn’t see anybody else’s face, really, I could tell a lot of people were crying by the way folks were thumbing the corners of their eyes. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z I knew he could feel my tension; his thumb rubbed soothing circles into the back of my hand. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z She brushed her thumb under Nico’s eye and wondered if he had been crying. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z The girl looks off, down the block, her thumb slowly rising to her mouth. Brown Girl Dreaming 2014-08-28T00:00:00Z Say, your thumb is fat and kind of short, then you’re bound to like men with a similar endowment elsewhere. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Their hands had only three fingers and a thumb, with sharp black claws instead of nails. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z He brought his hands next to his ears, thumbs touching the lobes, looking as if he were straining to hear Allah replying. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z I shift the flashlight into the crook of my thumb and reach for her hand to squeeze her sweaty fingers. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z “He has found the Pearl of the World,” they cried, and they joined forefinger with thumb to show how great the pearl was. The Pearl 1947-01-01T00:00:00Z There is no term comparable to green thumbs to apply to such a mechanic, but there should be. Cannery Row 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z The dolphins glare at me tonight, and although a lack of opposable thumbs makes swordplay unlikely, I find them far more threatening than usual. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z Then, “Ow,” because the ginger policeman had taken Bod’s ear between finger and thumb, and had given it a hard squeeze. The Graveyard Book 2008-09-30T00:00:00Z The winner received plaudits from the crowd and his life from Caesar’s upturned thumb because the fight had lasted fully fifteen thrilling minutes. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z I thumbed on my sympathy lamp and went to Denna, shaking her roughly. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z After a while, a car came along and Buck stuck his thumb out and climbed in. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z He cut his thumb so deeply on the last piece that blood dripped to the wooden floorboards. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z I licked my thumb and wiped at that blackbird tattoo, leaving a smudgy black spot on my hand. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z “No picking your nose. No sucking your thumb. No speaking unless spoken to.” When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z And he said, “OK,” but he said it really slowly and he squeezed his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z I suck on my injured thumb, feeling odd. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z Doctors thought it had, but then they noticed blood pulsing from a wound where his index finger had contracted and cut deep into his thumb—a sign that his heart was still pumping. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z I sat down, tipped my chair back and started to thumb through the index of one of the books. Liar, Liar 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Ms. Rostoff rubs her artificial nails against her thumb, then checks her watch again. Wintergirls 2009-03-19T00:00:00Z He touches my face, his thumb skimming my cheekbone, and his eyes are on mine, intense and insistent. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z He tightened the pressure of his thumb and finger for a moment and the weight increased and was going straight down. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z Without warning, Lucky Girl shoved her thumb into his back, into the heart of the wound. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z When the sun came up a couple of hours later, Stanley looked for "the thumb of God." Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z At a loss for anything better, I brought out my folding knife and worked it open with my thumb. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Takes my earlobe in her finger and thumb. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z I thumbed through a stack of papers, enjoying the smell of ink and newsprint. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z When I saw it my thumb began to smart. The Sound and the Fury 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z The mimosa branch knocks against the window and I jump, burn my thumb. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z She pressed the pad of her thumb into the shaking center of my hand, then let it go and walked away. The Marrow Thieves 2017-05-10T00:00:00Z She ran her thumb over her grandmother’s handwritten words. The Parker Inheritance 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z I remove the mitten on my right hand to swipe my thumb across the touch screen, unlocking texts. The Sea in Winter 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z I run my thumb along my bottom lip and walk back inside. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z She held my cheeks together, pressing the tender spot with her thumb. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z His hand brushes my wrist, turning it over, and his thumb presses carefully against my pulse. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z Rocking and sucking my thumb like I did when I was five. The Skin I'm In 1998-10-16T00:00:00Z Little Hamlet, his thumb between his lips, toddles from the cottage. Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z Then she rose gracefully to her feet, walked across the grass, and came back with a single cyclamen pinched between her thumb and forefinger. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z “Rats have no thumbs and therefore cannot do many things that we can. They cannot make tools or weapons. They are masters of destruction, but creation evades them,” said Vikus. Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z Joey DeLucca had been watching her, and he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. The Landry News 1999-12-01T00:00:00Z What I do remember is Charlie’s hand and how strong it was, and how he rubbed my palm with his thumb and how he smelled of buttery popcorn. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z Talk of the people, Voice of God November 25, I960 The soldier was standing on the side of the road with his thumb out, dressed in a camouflage uniform and black, laced-up boots. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z And it ignored us, too, the people in Swat who were under his thumb. Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z He jerked his thumb at the exit sign. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z He throws his thumb over his shoulder, even though the backyard is in the opposite direction. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z On his left thumb, a birthmark smattering of freckles in the shape of a constellation dots across his wrinkled left thumb. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z Lyra had stopped crying and found her thumb, and she lay in Malcolm’s tight grasp quite happily, interested in everything. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z She pushed harder and felt the dried-up, dull flesh give beneath her thumbs, the eyes squish into nothingness. Shadowshaper 2015-06-30T00:00:00Z They are not so well cared for, they are badly thumbed, and pages have been torn out for certain purposes. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z We walked in with our thumbs raised in the ANC salute and nodded to our supporters sitting in the non-Whites Only section. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z His only hope was that Zero had found God's thumb on his own. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z I took a branch about as big around as my thumb, broke it in half, then used a rock to pound both halves into the earth like tent stakes. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z With a long, theatrical moan, Kid Sampson made a pistol of his thumb and forefinger and blew his own brains out. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z He thumbs some of the wetness from my cheek away. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z “It makes me feel funny not knowing someone’s name. Wrongfooted, you know, or as if I had three thumbs on one hand, if you see what I mean. It’s clumsy...” The Book of Three 1964-03-12T00:00:00Z I feel everything at once: her thumb tracing my cheekbones, the quiet pressure of her lips. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z Milton jerked his thumb toward the wagon as he climbed slowly down from his seat. Across Five Aprils 1964-01-01T00:00:00Z David presses his thumb into his palm and massages his hand, clearly disconcerted by all the interruptions. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z I never knew or had forgotten how much of Maine sticks up like a thumb into Canada with New Brunswick on the east. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z He brushed his thumbs across them in a way that was remarkably obscene and smiled a wicked smile. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z Tyrion drove the dagger’s point into the ball of his thumb, watched the blood bead up, sucked it away. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z “I’m as graceful as can be,” he hummed, balancing on one toe, “and I’m as clumsy as can be,” he cried, sticking his thumb in his eye. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z A German measured Billy’s upper right arm with his thumb and forefinger, asked a companion what sort of an army would send a weakling like that to the front. Slaughterhouse-Five 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z He lay with his legs all pulled up and his thumb in his mouth. I'm the King of the Castle 1970-09-03T00:00:00Z She bit at the inside of her thumb. An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z A tooth fell away beneath the pressure of his thumb, and I heard him grumbling as he placed the plate in his mouth. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z She was as wrinkled as a dhobi’s thumb from being in water for too long. The God of Small Things 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z Now Mrs. Tomolillo was sitting with her index finger on her cheek and her thumb under her chin, and her head tilted wistfully to one side. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z A car eased up the road and I stuck my thumb out and it stopped. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z He reaches down and wraps his hands around one of Henry’s wrists, feeling the racing pulse under his thumbs. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z The older jockey pounded him mercilessly and tried to jam his thumbs into his eyes. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z She thumbed through a couple of pages and said, “Here we are.” Bud, Not Buddy 1999-09-02T00:00:00Z The scalpel blade, smeared with liver cells and blood, went deep into his thumb. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z I reach into my pocket, and a metal spike jams into my thumb. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z When she found one she made a tight face, touching the bare skin softly with her thumb. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z He paced in front of her with his left elbow cradled in his right palm neatly and his chin resting on his thumb. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z I thumb through the Jackson Journal to the Metro section. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z He took the lighter from his pocket and struck the wheel with his thumb. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He told about thumbing a ride to Bluefield, and, when he got there, going up to a gas station attendant and asking which way to the ballpark. Maniac Magee 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z I need something that would work with just my thumbs. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z I pushed the plunger with my thumb and withdrew the needle, all in one smooth, quick microsecond. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z Her thumbs tripped over each other, running up and down along the handle. The Rock and the River 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z He held it up between his thumb and finger, displaying it to her importantly. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z When I got in, I held my breath as I pressed my thumb to the ID scanner. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z Jake turned the globe again and pressed his blunt, grimy thumb on a carefully selected spot. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z Restricting the computers from joining the editorial meetings wasn’t a rule: it was a rule of thumb. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z Benton’s first entry in the book was dated about three months before he began college, so Cabot quickly thumbed through to find the point at which he had met Benton. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z Duff’s thumbs played at the waistband of her underpants. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z Then he took the knife and cut the smallest possible window he could see through, no larger than the circle he could make with thumb and forefinger. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z Legs crossed, eyes closed, and her hands with palms up resting on her thighs, thumb and forefinger touching. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z It rebounded on the balls of Mulch’s thumbs and ricocheted back into the goblin’s head. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z I pressed my thumb to a plate on the change machine and bought a single quarter. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z “Yeah, little girl, I know what a thumb is,” he said, smiling down at her. Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z When her father put the receiver down, Mary Anne, whispering a tuneless half-remembered melody, thumbed through the telephone directory, and with her pen, marked the number of the Ravenel Air Station’s Officers’ Club. The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Practiced flicking his index finger off his thumb. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library 2013-06-25T00:00:00Z We had thousands of thumb wars, and I won every single one, even the ones I was trying to lose. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z Curious, I push my thumb into my swollen feet, pressing the flesh inward and creating a big dent. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Every night the moment returns to him: when he clasped that pear-shaped diamond between his thumb and forefinger, made huge by the lens of his loupe, and believed he held the one-hundred-and-thirty-three-carat Sea of Flames. All the Light We Cannot See 2014-05-06T00:00:00Z The wound was on the man’s thumb, where the nail was missing. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z As someone warbled on the radio, Ralph’s thumbs hooked themselves around her windpipe. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Dri put her thumb tips to my eyelids and lifted them and leaned close to look into my pupils. Adrift 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Sanders wrapped the thumb in toilet paper and handed it across to Norman Bowker. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Drawing the dirk, he tested its edge with his thumb, pulled a whetstone from his belt pouch, and gave it a few licks. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z He was still holding the end of her scarf, rubbing the silk idly between his thumb and fingers. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z Anybody who had ever wondered what color the walls were came and came to look at that little thumb of a human in a box like candy. The House on Mango Street 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z The captain spread his hand open, the thumb up and fingers outspread as when you make shadow pictures. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z It was about as long as Lyra’s thumb, and dark green, not black. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z I put thumb and fingers into the macaroni and lifted. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z Samuel Beckett spliced his way merrily through such novels as MoIIoy and Malone Dies, thumbing his nose at the semicolon all the way: “There I am then, he leaves me, he’s in a hurry.” Eats, Shoots & Leaves 2003-11-06T00:00:00Z I rub the smooth stones of the necklace with my thumb. Amina's Song 2021-03-09T00:00:00Z Then he trails them down over my hips and thighs until he reaches my knees, which he cups and rubs his thumbs over. Odd One Out 2018-08-09T00:00:00Z He tried to push the lids up off the jars with his thumbs but they were on too tight. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He grabbed hold of my shoulders, his thumbs digging into the flesh at the tops of my arms, and told me to calm down, to stop behaving like a child. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z He stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum . Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z “Sorry . . . carried away. “I didn’t drop it there, anyway,” said Harry, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z Their chain links were no longer than my thumb. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z I rub the freckled constellation birthmark on his left thumb. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z Another kid, this one with skin as dark as Chubs, jerked his thumb in Liam’s direction. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z The Captain sighed, polishing his mug with the back of his thumb. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z The shell was thick, smooth, big as a thumb joint, and usually white, although sometimes pink or peach-colored. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z “Please touch your forefinger and thumb together on both hands.” Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z Finally, the Keeper brought out a cane about the thickness of his thumb. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z I looked down as he began to rub his thumb over my upturned palm. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z Her forearm, like a child’s, fits within the circle of my thumb and finger. Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z He hooked his thumbs in his belt and squinted one eye nearly closed. Of Mice and Men 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z His thumb makes its way to the puffed cuff of my dress, then back to my palm. The Belles 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. The Rock and the River 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z The thumb was bitten nearly to the quick. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man’s fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were almost imperceptible. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z Then I saw Summer smiling as I walked past her row, and when she saw me look at her, she gave me a secret little thumbs- up and mouthed a silent “cool beans” to me. Wonder 2012-02-14T00:00:00Z Vanessa began thumbing through the book, which suddenly looked very much like a textbook. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z She jabbed her thumb into her chest—“It was me.” Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z “The people you bite your thumb in front of.” An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z As she spoke Mrs. Dalai kept track of the necessary items by touching her thumb to the pads of her fingers. Interpreter of Maladies 1999-05-22T00:00:00Z With slow, deliberate strokes, he began running his thumb over the crystal’s faces, once across each plane before rotating it and beginning again. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z He thumbed through the pages and started bouncing on the balls of his feet. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z But I knew if the dead girl's eyes were to be thumbed wide, they would look at me with the same dead, black, vacant expression as the eyes in the snapshot. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z I trembled as I watched Mrs. Moss press Luke’s clenched cheek with her thumb and forefinger, making him look like a fish. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z The finish was rubbed off the sides of the picture where her thumbs had held it. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Except the Bible; I picked it up and sat back on the bed, allowing its blood-red-edged pages to ripple beneath my thumb. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z The way he’s holding my arm, running his thumb along my skin. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z He unhooked his thumbs from the belt loops and made himself more upright, taking on a self-conscious air of menace. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z I want to wrap my hand around them and smooth the marks with my thumb. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z She turned to Park, and before either of them realized what she was planning, she had her thumb at the corner of his eye. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z Ben-Ben stands up and holds out his index fingers and thumbs. A High Five for Glenn Burke 2020-02-25T00:00:00Z He rummaged among the jumble of stuff they’d taken from the pharmacy so long ago, and found a piece of candle about as long as his thumb. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z He pulls his hand from his mouth and looks at his chapped thumb. Without Refuge 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z But the other gun remained in its holster, with only its black grip showing beneath Reed’s restless thumb. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z She presses her thumbs inside them and they expand right up into water bottles. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z My thumbs stroke the soft skin of the young woman's hands. How It Went Down 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z She was thumbing through a Harper's Bazaar—looking as cool without my father as she had when she was with him. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z I took Gus’s hand, stroking circles around the space between his thumb and forefinger. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z I wiped the tear streaking down his cheek with my thumb. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z I picked up my journal and thumbed through it. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 2012-02-21T00:00:00Z She jabs the tiny brush into the coral bottle, wipes the excess under the rim, and expertly strokes it on her big toe, correcting the line with her thumb. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z Marly looked at Daddy, and Daddy sat looking at the floor, twiddling his thumbs. Miracles on Maple Hill 1956-08-01T00:00:00Z His dad didn’t say anything, just twirled a tire wrench back and forth on his thumb like a gunslinger. We'll Fly Away 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z I knew because he would produce it wherever we were and start rubbing the face with his thumb. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z When we say good-bye, he grunts, thumbs typing furiously on his little iPhone keypad. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z The boy cried “Gosh!” and “Sweet mother!” at every complication in her story, tucking his thumbs into the pockets of his overalls and rocking on his heels. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z He pointed his thumb in the direction of his own house, and then wiped his hair off his forehead. Bridge to Terabithia 1997-10-21T00:00:00Z She sucked air through her teeth and bit on the knuckle of her thumb. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z “She texts a lot. She must have quick thumbs.” The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed the pack down off his shoulder and sat and opened it. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z Archer drew the piece of quartz from his pocket and stood, rubbing his thumb along its sparkling sides, waiting for the fight to begin. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z He mashed his nose with his thumb until it was white and flat. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z So far I can’t even span it with a spread of my pinkie to thumb. X: A Novel 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z He squeezed his thumb tightly and felt his forehead grow hot from hiding information from Nali. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z She pressed a thumb over half of the word for a second, then switched to the other side. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z The bony one licks her thumb and pushes the hair off my face. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z Enoch held the heart between his thumb and forefinger for me to see. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z The rush of pages fans against his thumb. A Bird Will Soar 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z “The tip contains a pressurized dart. One shot only. You tap the knuckle with your thumb and someone goes beddie-bye.” Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z Tomás sucks his thumb and gives me dagger looks in agreement. Merci Suárez Changes Gears 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z As he pressed it in with his thumb, there was a clicking sound as it slipped beneath the metal tines that cradled it and solidly held it in place. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z I pressed my thumb to the wounded area to try to stop the bleeding. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Soon they were walking in the long thin shadow of the thumb. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z He kept on sticking his thumbs up in the air. Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z The duke put a hand on her knee, stroking it with his thumb. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z I pressed my thumb against the edge of the piece of glass and felt an unpleasant tugging sensation followed by a sharp pain. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z She reaches over and squeezes my hand, presses her thumb and fingers down as hard as Constantine ever did. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z Then his thumb slides along a catch I didn’t notice before and the disk pops open. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z All four fingers and the thumb on his left hand were removed. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z He let go of her thumb and reached up with chubby fists, trying to grab the strands of Taisin’s hair that had come loose from her braids. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z He paces back over to the door and slides his phone out of his messenger bag, thumbs open his messages. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z The imprint of her thumb remained in the bread’s soft pores. Black Like Me 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z Thomas flipped up double thumbs; then he and Minho pulled on their backpacks and entered the Maze. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z The way he taps his fingertips along the pad of his thumb when he's nervous. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z “Yes, while the rest of you were twiddling your thumbs, Tris climbed the Ferris wheel to look for the other team,” he says. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z “No, nor felt such thorns,” returned Laurie, with his thumb in his mouth, after a vain attempt to capture a solitary scarlet flower that grew just beyond his reach. Little Women 1868-01-01T00:00:00Z Five papayas the sizes of my head, a knee, two elbows, and a thumb cling to the trunk. Inside Out and Back Again 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z Em used her thumb to flip back and forth between her Patrick photos: ankle, knee, ankle, knee. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z “Maybe the flagpole could be a plan B when there isn’t the threat of storms, because avoiding tall metal poles is actually a good rule of thumb when lightning may be in the picture.” A Bird Will Soar 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z She gasped at this new pain and then he pressed his thumb to her forehead. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z “I’m not sure the idea of adventure is even Christian,” Dill said as he thumbed through the book. The Serpent King 2016-03-08T00:00:00Z He smelled the sea air, the warm bread, the antiseptic from his bandaged thumb, and then he saw her—Desdemona, sitting on the suitcase where he’d left her— and felt even happier. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z My thumb accidentally touched her forefinger as I handed it back. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z If only they would not look at one so—What great misery can be in two such small spots, no bigger than a man’s thumb—in their eyes! All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z Her fingers tap, thumb to each finger pad—index, middle, ring, pinkie. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z “You got to crimp the edges with your thumb, like this. That makes ’em look nice. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z Pycelle lifted a tiny silver bell with thumb and forefinger and tinkled it gently. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z She pinched the runt petal between the nails of her thumb and finger and plucked it. Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z After he turns away, I pick it up and thumb through it. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z I pinched my way around the pies with my good thumb, and they did look better, although no one would be fooled into thinking they were Viola’s handiwork. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z He moves his thumb absently over my cheekbone, back and forth. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z The very planet where I’d been twiddling my thumbs for the past five years? Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z He took a fold of the Wart’s arm between the nails of first finger and thumb, and pinched for all be was worth. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z I tucked my thumb and Papa’s wedding band into my palm. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z Failing that, if contact was absolutely necessary, a series of thumb jabs to the nerve cluster at the base of the neck would be his chosen modus operandi—quiet as a whisper. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z She held the fabrics delicately, as if they would break, and rubbed them softly between her thumb and forefinger. George 2015-08-25T00:00:00Z The worker gestures downward with his thumb to signal the crane operator to continue slowly lowering the granite panel. Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam 2018-04-10T00:00:00Z I put my thumb on the mouth of the pipe, sucked air — blew out, and all this while the glass is getting colder duller orange blood red mud red black. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village 2007-07-24T00:00:00Z Francie watched him as he crooked his forefinger and cradled the marble in it with his thumb behind it. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z He pulls out his phone again and begins thumbing through the questions. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z Sure enough, Krios still had his thumb jammed on the UP button. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z He moved his fingers around the soft leather, then ran his thumb slowly across the bumpy stitches. Breadcrumbs 2011-09-27T00:00:00Z He motioned with his thumb for the boys to file inside. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z He shifted his feet and thumbed his belt loops. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z Where Byrd sits with one small piece of glass pinched between her thumb and pointer finger. A Bird Will Soar 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z She stuck her head back in and put her thumb up. Slam! 1996-11-01T00:00:00Z I wanted to read them all but was afraid someone would walk in on me, so I thumbed through them quickly to get an overview. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z She licks her thumbs and wipes a spot on my shirt above my chest. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z I let my thumb trace the cover of the journal, and before my brain could tell me not to, I yanked it into my lap and flipped to a random page. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z She doesn’t tap her thumb to her fingers. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z “I’m heading to work,” she said, her thumbs flying across the screen. The Parker Inheritance 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z There’s a gigantic black-and-orange San Francisco Giants flag on the wall, and pictures of fun stuff like him tandem skydiving with two thumbs up. The House That Lou Built 2018-06-12T00:00:00Z She started to thumb through to the photos. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z I chew off a scab on my thumb. Speak 1999-10-01T00:00:00Z One of the two men, a great tall beanpole, looked as if a giant had pressed his face flat with his thumb. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z Joaquin brought his hands up to hold on to Jessica’s wrists, and she ran her thumbs under his eyes and then kissed the top of his head. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z With his thumb and index finger, he started to pinch the bridge. The Lemonade War 2007-04-23T00:00:00Z I hold my thumb against the button of the bell till it becomes numb. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z She stuck her thumb under the elastic of her candy necklace, pulling on a pink candy circle. The First Rule of Punk 2017-08-22T00:00:00Z With the thumb and forefinger of his left hand he made a small “o” about the size of the bit, which was an inch and a half in diameter. Where the Red Fern Grows 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z His hands caressed the camera around his neck; his thumb hovered by the shutter button. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z I took out my father’s pocket watch to check the time, running my thumb over the smooth glass window. The City Beautiful 2021-10-05T00:00:00Z While Joe was on the porch, angrily thumbing two dimes into the soft drink machine, Bud Gleason’s Chevy Blazer pulled up in front of the store. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Rafik added, sighing in a melodramatic way, “But we do miss the school milk in little red cartons,” which made his mother put her thumb and first finger together like an alligator closing its mouth. Habibi 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z I held up my left hand and spread my fingers out in a fan and we made our fingers and thumbs touch each other. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z It all came to a head a few days later, the evening Carl popped through the doorway twirling his car keys on his thumb. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z “If I had jewelry to sell, I wouldn’t be here,” I said frankly and pressed my thumb into the wax. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Although, instead of lightning flashing behind the thumb, in Stanley's mind, the lightning was coming out of the thumb, as if it were the thumb of God. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z As I thumbed through the pages, I heard someone call my name. Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z Uriah takes one of the paintballs from his gun and squeezes it between his thumb and index finger. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z I set down my suitcase on the shoulder and, stepping out to face the oncoming traffic, tentatively stuck out my thumb. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z I place everything in a folder on my thumb drive with all my other application materials for early acceptance. Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z I would not tell the story of my love to this hard-hearted fiend should he press my thumbs and threaten to pull my limbs apart on a great wheel! Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z And then I’d skip over the part in the hospital when the doctor said, “Hold on, son,” and snapped my thumb back into place. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z She jerked her thumb at the next table, where Ainsley, Liana, and a few other girls were sitting. Maybe He Just Likes You 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z After five minutes, Pauline twitched her thumb, and the cello woman was replaced by an Ansel Adams landscape, Mount McKinley glowering over a lake of pure white. Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z The old man pinched their heads off with his thumb and forefinger and ate them chewing up the shells and the tails. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z He wiped his thumbs on his nose and a green snot dangled there. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z She curled into a fetal position and lay still, her thumb back in her mouth. The Devil's Arithmetic 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z But as they jumped Digory felt that a large cold finger aid thumb had caught him by the ear. The Magician's Nephew 1955-05-02T00:00:00Z No one's ever challenged me to a thumb war. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z I could totally still draw with two fingers if one was a thumb. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z The water ripples quietly around him as he slides his hands up to hold Henry’s face in both palms, tracing his cheekbones with the wet pads of his thumbs. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z I jamb my thumb into the button, but can’t push hard enough. The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z She carries a sleek black folder of papers and a cell phone in her hand, clicking away with her thumbs. How It Went Down 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z Henry’s hands on him, his thumbs braced against his temples back in the garden, Henry’s hands other places, Henry’s mouth, what he might do with it if Alex let him. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z The thumb was dark brown, rubbery to the touch, and weighed 3 ounces at most. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z "I don't know about them"—she thumbed at us—"but I already know how to do that." Patina 2017-08-29T00:00:00Z She employed a variety of techniques—probing with her thumbs, rubbing with her palms, pressing with her fists, digging with her elbows. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z With a quick glance at the door to check that Filch wasn’t on his way back, Harry picked up the envelope and read: Fascinated, Harry thumbed through the rest of the envelope’s contents. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z He could not get the thumb to meet the forefinger. Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z She was eight now, but with her thumb in her mouth, she looked just like a baby. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z He thumbed over his shoulder, as if we could see all the way to his house from here. The Season of Styx Malone 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z I pull it off the shelf and start thumbing through it. Love, Hate & Other Filters 2018-01-16T00:00:00Z Shana smiles at him as he rubs his thumb along her hand, then she looks at me. On the Come Up 2019-02-05T00:00:00Z Then I attached an air line to the tank and crimped it with my thumb. The Martian 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z It stayed there for a moment, and he could feel the worn place on her thumb where she nibbled at it. An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z Jamie giggled, “Yeah, I guess homesickness is like sucking your thumb. It’s what happens when you’re not very sure of yourself.” From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z I lifted up my shirttails, stuck my thumbs in my waistband, pulled, and... Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z Her nails are painted green today, with black stars on her thumbs. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z As he received the reassurance of something purposeful being done he began to look satisfied, and his only clean digit, a pink thumb, slid into his mouth. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z Matthew yelled back, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z She raised her left hand and held it in front of the moon, so that her forefinger and thumb seemed to be grasping it. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z He just held it in both hands, traced his thumb over its surface. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z The fairy’s face was not much bigger than the ball of her thumb, and her fairy light shone between Elinor’s strong fingers like the light of a captive star. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z He kicked Ranofer awake each morning on his way out of the courtyard, tossed him a copper to buy bread or jerked his thumb toward the storeroom to indicate that there was food laid out. The Golden Goblet 1961-04-24T00:00:00Z It would have big keys, so my thumbs could push the right buttons, and it would connect to my wheelchair. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z “So you’re an artist, a musician, a green thumb, a fish lover, and a reader?” Pride 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z He walks across the park toward home, thumbing through the book, anxious to see her now. The Namesake 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z Like something beavers might have erected if they had opposable thumbs and lots of upper body strength. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z After twiddling their thumbs a few minutes, the children stacked their suitcases and took turns standing on them to peek over the wall. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z As Seabiscuit streaked past the three-quarter pole, several dockers saw what was happening and jammed their thumbs down on their stopwatches. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z Shivering knee-deep in damp leaves that couldn't do his leg muscles much good, he readied his thumb on the button of the stopwatch. The Westing Game 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z So she stored everything on a thumb drive and hid it in a tampon box in the bathroom they shared. Keep It Together, Keiko Carter 2020-05-05T00:00:00Z When it was time for me to do my bar routine, I looked around and saw she was smiling at me from the sidelines with both thumbs up. Courage to Soar 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z She had her thumb on her right hand tucked in and was counting. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z They had only two cups and he drank his coffee from the bowl he’d eaten from, his thumbs hooked over the rim. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z After making a few faces at myself, I put my thumbs in my ears and was making mule ears when two old women came by. Where the Red Fern Grows 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z Sherm rubbed the worn leather of the wallet with his thumbs. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z She kept her thumb pressed hard in my hand. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z Her husband, a burly man in baggy pants and sky blue turban, cradled an infant in one arm and thumbed prayer beads with his free hand. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z “Two weeks from school for a sprained thumb?” Burning Blue 2012-10-25T00:00:00Z Even though the music’s blaring from a laptop connected to some speakers, she’s over by the CD collection, thumbing through cases. Every Day 2012-08-28T00:00:00Z He stood out in class like a sore thumb. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z He nods, slurping at his thumb, happy to share a secret that involves getting dirty. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z She rubs her thumb back and forth across my skin. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z “Your total comes to eleven thousand big ones. Just put your thumb on the drum and we’ll get you all fixed up.” Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z I could ask, Where is my book bag? or say, Happy Birthday, Mom, just by pointing with my thumb. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z She lifted her head from her work and gave me the thumbs up. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z After a minute, he shook his head; he lifted his thumbs to Hosiah’s eyes and closed them. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z But then he took his glasses off, used his thumb and pointer finger to pinch the tears away. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z While the furrier thumbed through them, Sefia fidgeted impatiently, glancing around at the swirling crowd, reaching behind her every so often to reassure herself that the mysterious angular object remained inside her pack. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z “Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down,” he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z But by the time Stanley broke past the crust, a blister had formed in the middle of his right thumb, and it hurt to hold the shovel. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z My thumb rubs over my ring finger, over the smooth skin of the missing tip. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z Henry sees his thumb hovering over the play button and nudges his ribs. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z Before leaving, Desdemona walked out into the yard and crossed herself in the Orthodox fashion, leading with the thumb. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z I thumbed the screen, going from picture to picture. All American Boys 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z She unclipped herself and reached up with both her hands and touched her thumbs together, and made football goalposts around Quendy’s face. Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z “I did, indeed,” Marco says, running his thumb along the inside of her wrist. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z He had taken the red truck off the old blue dresser and was sitting on the floor, running his thumb over the wheels. As Brave As You 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z Frank S., puffy-eyed and slouching on the bench, gives me two thumbs up. Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z She picks it up, and thumbs a key, and puts the telephone to her ear. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover—and probably not by its title, either—but I instantly want to give it 2 thumbs up or 5 stars. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z Mother could close her thumb and middle finger around my forearm. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z Halfway down the hill, a car peels by me and I want to stick out my thumb. I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z “Can’t exactly say which one. I thumb over to Welch every Saturday to the county library. I tend to pick out random shelves and just read every book on it until I’m done.” October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z My injuries distracted me, and my bandaged thumb made my hand slightly clumsy. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Tom slowly folded the telegram and folded it again and again until it was a square no larger than his thumb. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z Plutarch has run his thumb across the crystal face of the watch and for just a moment an image appears, glowing as if lit by candlelight. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z “And take your thumb out of your mouth,” I add. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Maybe my thumb slipped and I pushed the wrong letters. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z A nerve in her thumb throbbed and she thought the doll’s hand twitched. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z While thumbing toward the Bible section, I came across a list of phobias arranged into various classifications. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z Then I get a flash of impulsive inspiration; I reach over, dig my thumb into her spoon, and smudge an ocher arc across the page. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z As it approached I instinctively put my thumb out, and to my astonishment it stopped about fifty feet past us. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z No matter how many people spoke to him that day, Ralph refused to come out of the mitten thumb, which fortunately already had an excellent peephole. Ralph S. Mouse 1992-08-01T00:00:00Z I held Julia's face in my hands and wiped the wet at the corners of her eyes with my thumbs. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z Fujiko picked up her glasses again and held them between her thumb and forefinger. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z He climbed into the front of the car, turned around, and, with a wicked grin, held up a stack of bills and riffled them with his thumb. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z She went back to eating earth and the whitewash on the walls with the avidity of previous days, and she sucked her finger with so much anxiety that she developed a callus on her thumb. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z I reach under my shirt and run my thumb over my lucky penny. Dread Nation 2018-04-03T00:00:00Z He brushes his thumb along his lower lip. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z He picked up the head of the hose, put his thumb over it and sprayed his friend. Homecoming 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z I am hunched there like a fat dark shadow, my eyes cut sideways toward Caroline, thumb in mouth, the pudgy hand covering most of my face. Jacob Have I Loved 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z But Shawn chose a knife, and a knife whose blade was barely bigger than his thumb. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z He smiles, drawing back from me, and rubs his thumb across my cheekbone. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z The image of Neil Armstrong reaching out into space to give a hitchhiker's thumb cracks me up every time. Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z This looks to us like a principle, maxim, or rule of thumb, not a law, because it lacks specificity. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z A. Fortiori jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said, “Screw.” Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z She takes a seat and twirls the blossom between her thumb and index finger. Internment 2019-03-07T00:00:00Z The baby looked around at everything, and then her hand found her mouth and in went a thumb. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z A slow trickle of dark blood made its way down his thumb, where it gathered and swelled for a moment before dripping onto the floor. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He was surrounded by his friends, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z He turned the thick red stem between his thumb and pointer finger, then sniffed: tea and dirt and cane syrup. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z And he had, tightly between forefinger and thumb. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z He was thumbing through it when he realized he had forgotten to ask where the twins really were, so he did. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z He walked away, his thumb over the neck to keep the whisky from sloshing out. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z Laila watched her put her thumb into its mouth, just over the lower jaw, push it in, and, in one downward stroke, remove the gills and the entrails. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z He took her hand in his, slid his thumb along the soft flesh between each of her fingers. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z After pressing their inked thumbs to their respective forms, they were handcuffed, blindfolded, and led outside to the elevator. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z But she already had the phone in her hand, her thumbs flying over the buttons. Made You Up 2015-05-19T00:00:00Z It’s not unusual, on the outskirts of Dawson Creek, to see a dozen or more doleful-looking men and women standing along the shoulder with extended thumbs. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z He holds a key between his thumb and first finger, letting the others slide down the ring. Wintergirls 2009-03-19T00:00:00Z He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted as he watched Dumbledore fasten his traveling cloak, and Harry zip up his jacket. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z By the time my mother walked into the room, the cuticle on my thumb was bleeding. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z With her thumb she felt a small square of decorated woven cloth. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Golden Gray ran his thumb across his bottom lip. Jazz 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z But when he pointed his thumb to his open mouth, we knew what he wanted. Tasting the Sky 2007-02-20T00:00:00Z Spurge prepared to lift the lid off with his thumbs. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge 2018-09-25T00:00:00Z While she checks the numbers on the calculator against the numbers in the checkbook, Uhmma absent-mindedly rubs her thumb back and forth. A Step from Heaven 2001-04-30T00:00:00Z At one of the bookcases, he gave a misaligned book an orderly little push with his thumb, then passed on. Franny and Zooey 1961-09-14T00:00:00Z Catching my eye, he smiles and lifts his right thumb. You Bring the Distant Near 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z Swift as a deer he outraced them, Quiet as a fox he ran, He thumbed his nose as they blundered, He laughed to beat the band. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z He tightened the belts, pressed his thumb against them, then went out once again and stood leaning against the port gunnel. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z Bloom pulled it back two clicks and tried to thumb the cylinder around. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z She squished the padded foot beneath her thumb. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z Quick as a flash, Mulch jammed his thumbs up Wart-face’s nostrils. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z “I think it would be undignified and too much like a small boy thumbing his nose at the back of a larger boy who has beaten him up,” he said. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights 2004-05-25T00:00:00Z Mr. Turner was a banty-rooster kind of man who kept the entire school under his thumb. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z Then his right hand rose slowly to the side of his face and with his thumb and forefinger he gently caressed an imaginary earlock. The Chosen 1967-04-28T00:00:00Z Inspect every piece of pseudoscience and you will find a security blanket, a thumb to suck, a skirt to hold. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z The Wart looked in the direction which had been indicated with a despondent thumb, and saw a lot of rope wound round a tree. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z I press my thumb against the spoon tightly. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z We slapped palms and left the library thumbing through our scripts. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z When he’s done massaging the plaster, he smooths it down with his hands, then presses his thumbs around the bottom part of my kneecap, getting a good impression of that area. The Running Dream 2011-01-11T00:00:00Z She pressed her thumb against the charms, separating them a little. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z She was pressing the pad of her thumb against her incisors. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z He held it up between his thumb and forefinger and said, "Dear friends, may I present you with the final solution?" The View From Saturday 1996-09-01T00:00:00Z The wizard went back to the desk, sat down, and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z I felt all the muscles in my hand stretch and tear around my thumb, like he was pulling a drumstick off of a roast chicken. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z He was scratching at the raised edge of the diamond with his thumb, his head studiously down. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z He kept his head down and hooked his thumbs through the straps of his backpack. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z “I have to pack up and catch the bus with the team,” I said, jerking my thumb to the door as my classmates rushed out. Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z Katherine listened intently as her brother-in-law described the work, her thumb cradling her chin, her index finger extended along her cheek, the signal that she was listening carefully. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z The sheriff ruffled the edges of the envelopes with his thumb. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z And then he reclined in his wall tent, placed the muzzle of the .30-.30 against his head, and jerked his thumb down on the trigger. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Dr. Blankenship rubbed his thumb on the steering wheel, looking uncomfortable. The Serpent King 2016-03-08T00:00:00Z He pointed with his thumb in the direction of the front yard. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z ‘Not so stiff... give more. I said keep your thumb up.’ Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z He moves his thumb in a slow circle over the back of my hand. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z Her father thumbed through the book and asked Elizabeth a few questions about the class, then handed the prize back to her. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z And then she was crying, and when he went to wipe her cheek with the pad of his thumb she swiped his hand away. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z Alex reaches for him in return, presses one thumb into the hollow of his collarbone, slipping right under the knot of his tie. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z She looked at the plastic star that was still stuck on her thumb and then, without saying anything else, leaned down and stuck it on my forehead. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z Sitting on the edge of the carousel is an older Dauntless, scratching her quadruple- pierced eyebrow with her thumb. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z She unzipped the pocket and gave the whistle an almost invisible caress with her thumb. Breadcrumbs 2011-09-27T00:00:00Z Kaz trailed his fingers along the panels behind the potted tree and pressed his thumb into a notch in the wall. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z I tested the string the way Hassan and I used to, by holding it between my thumb and forefinger and pulling it. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z Boots held up her thumb to show him. Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z I watched with a sense of unbelief as he rubbed his thumb over the sample, handed it back and left without a further word. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z She was running the ball of her thumb across the most worn of them, trying to decide which king it showed, when she heard the door opening softly behind her. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z Mr. Randolph held his bony thumb and index finger an inch apart. The Great Gilly Hopkins 1978-03-28T00:00:00Z He didn’t say anything; he just took the fingers of her right hand and held them in his, his thumb brushing the ring she wore. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z Then the sumo dude held out his hand and gave the thumbs down sign. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z He scrunched his face up so he could see the bottom of his chin, then he took his thumb and finger and felt around there. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Quentin thumbed over to Coalwood on a Saturday in November, and we went up to my room to work the equations. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z "Well, those are not the reasons I'd have given, but . . ." He had touched her cheek, his thumb lightly tracing the line of -a cheek-bone. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z Her thumbs meet on the bridge of my nose, and I feel like a book being read, word by word. Things Not Seen 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z He began tapping his fingers together—thumb and forefinger, thumb and middle finger, thumb and ring finger, thumb and little finger. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z “Sure. And I strangled a wolf bare-handed last night,” the crusty old bartender retorted, sucking on his thumb because he had cut it a little on the second poptop. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z He showed me the steps I was to follow: First you hold the chicken’s little head in a V between your thumb and forefinger. The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z "I know," I said, running my thumb along the edge of the table, "your private source tells you differently. History's made at night, eh, Brother?" Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z Nobody ever knew what he meant by God's thumb, including himself. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z With his thumb and his forefinger, he slides my eyelids shut, sentencing me to the vulnerability of darkness. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z She is pressing her fingers to her thumb, one by one, one by one, fast-fast-fast, on both hands. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z I thumbed through a stack of papers and chose the only two I found from 1917. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z The light played blue off his dark skin, and Jam patted his cheek, stroking a thumb over the razor of his cheekbone. Pet 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z “Let’s jab our thumbs down inside his wound and gouge it,” suggested the hatchet-faced man. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z “Why you ain’t tell me you was coming?” the girl says, and sticks her thumb in her mouth. The Hate U Give 2017-02-28T00:00:00Z He thumbed through the book for a few minutes before stashing it back in his bag and just watching. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z And then, instead of picking true notes on the strings, Cool Papa hit a few ghost notes, thumping his brass thumb ring against solid wood. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground 2017-05-09T00:00:00Z "We need two orange juices," I said, thumbing through the juices like I was looking for a shirt in the coldest closet ever. Ghost 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z I decide to write him an email, thumbing it out on my tiny keyboard. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z If you could lay your thumb on middle C, everything else automatically fell into place. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z Her shoulders are pulled back and she's got her thumbs hooked under the straps of her backpack. The Sky at Our Feet 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z He held out his hand, pinched the Tic Tac between his thumb and pointer finger, flipped it into his mouth — and promptly threw up onto my sneakers. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z Kaz pulled out one of the stacks and let his gloved thumb skim over it, then dug down another layer to make sure Van Eck hadn’t tried to bunk them. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z He put his thumbs in his belt loops and let the sun warm his face. Stone Fox 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z I pointed to purple, but then quickly slid my thumb over to green. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z He held the stone to the light, where it sparked black and gold, and rubbed his thumb across it once before tucking it deep in his pocket. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z Tristran blinked and reached into the tin bowl and took out a large mushroom between finger and thumb. Stardust 1998-10-01T00:00:00Z And he said, “Back by the ticket office,” and he pointed with his thumb. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z “Talked to me for quite a while—said he was from Saudi Arabia. He thumbed through the goshawk book, too. Said the sheik he worked for had a goshawk. “ On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z Janie and Rachel walked away, and Grace hitched her thumbs under her backpack straps, which suddenly felt like they had betrayed her. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z I sit in my “game time” position—knees pulled in, right arm draped over my head and holding my left ear, and my left thumb in my mouth. The Hate U Give 2017-02-28T00:00:00Z ‘A terrible row, Ben. I nearly hit her, I came this close ...’ She held out her finger and thumb, a centimetre apart. The London Eye Mystery 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z He snapped his fingers in the air, slamming his pointer and middle fingers against his thumb. Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z Theresa pictured her brother, feet up on the desk like Pete the super, thumbing through these. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z He pulled out one of the volumes, thumbed through it, put it back, pulled out another. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy 2004-05-24T00:00:00Z Bobby Gene slammed the phone down, punching it off with his thumb. The Season of Styx Malone 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z Their scabby snouts were twitching triumphantly, and their teeth were clacking as close to my thumbs as they could get. The Wednesday Wars 2007-05-21T00:00:00Z But, the thing is, no matter how much time my thumbs and I spend with the curves of imaginary women, I am much more in love with the right angles of buildings. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2007-09-01T00:00:00Z She held it out at arm’s length, pinched between her thumb and forefinger. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Her arm lashed around, and the bloody needle came out of her arm and jabbed into his thumb. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Cara has the hem of her shirt pinched between her fingers, and she is moving her thumb over the fabric, frowning. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z I sat down on an old sycamore log, and started thumbing through the leaves. Where the Red Fern Grows 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z Sickler’s, it might be said, was the only restaurant in town where the steaks weren’t “that thick”—thumb and index finger held an inch apart. Franny and Zooey 1961-09-14T00:00:00Z Butler picked him up by the neck, finger and thumb easily meeting around the back. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z Then holding the pages between his finger and thumb he said:— Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z He plucked a grape, and squeezed it between thumb and forefinger until the skin burst. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z He twiddles his thumbs and takes a few measured breaths. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z Of course it looks to Terry like Molly is just twiddling her thumbs, letting the time slide like a government worker punching a clock. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z The old woman licks her fingers and thumbs through the pages in the red folder. Free Lunch 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z The little boy sees us and grins around the thumb he has stuck in his mouth. Blood on the River 2006-05-04T00:00:00Z Grandma Sorenson took it and began working his palm with her thumbs. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z Then she would fly as Aegon the Conqueror had flown, up and up, until Meereen was so small that she could blot it out with her thumb. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z Violet was just sitting on the bed, playing with her thumb. Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z “I think I shall trade, also,” said he, putting his thumbs in his waist-coat pockets, “to the West Indies, for sugar, tobacco, and rum. Also to Ceylon, especially for elephants’ tusks.” Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z She frowned and removed her thumb from her mouth. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He sat perfectly still as she thumbed his neck, the line of his jaw, and a spot next to his mouth. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z Her thumb slid into her mouth and she spoke around it. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He reaches forward and rubs my forehead with his thumb. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z The smell of wet earth comes to me from those thumbed and tattered pages, the sour tang of moorland peat, the feel of soggy moss spattered white in places by a heron’s droppings. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z They had learned to anticipate how he would hook his thumbs behind the tiny black catch buttons of his suspenders. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z I thumb through the first pages hoping to find something to distract me, like a sketch of a snare, when I notice gaps in the June entries of last year. On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Another woman might have looked on that first moment Grover touched Helen — bumping a thumb up her spine — and felt comradery. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z When he heard her coming, he would lay aside his work, lean back, and twiddle his thumbs. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z He felt the cool, clean hands bending his fingers, twisting his thumb until he gritted his teeth. Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z Nathan went to him and pressed his thumbs into either side of Pond’s scaled head and massaged. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z He curled up in his usual position then, thumb in his mouth, crying softly. Forged by Fire 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z “I owe so much to him,” continued Albert as he rubbed his thumb across the ship tattoo on his forearm. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z Press his thumb up in my hand and he say... he sorry.” The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z Robin was actually cordial, inviting me to her room to sit on the floor and thumb through her 45s and set aside the ones I wanted to listen to. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z On my way out, I peered inside Kilvin’s office and saw him sitting at his worktable, idly thumbing my lamp on and off. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z “Of course, it’s not best house in neighborhood, not million-dollar house, not yet. But it’s good investment. Better than paying rent. Better than somebody putting you under their thumb to rub you out.” The Joy Luck Club 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z One of his thumbs slipped into the hollow of her ear. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z The pulse turned into a pound and Moss closed his eyes, then pressed into them with the thumb and middle finger of his right hand. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z She feels the rolling pressure of his thumbs against her arches, the soothing grip of his hands on her swollen ankles. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z “When you punch someone, you have to put your thumb over your first two knuckles. Here, like this.” Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z "Let's see," he said, selecting a sample and running his thumb across the board. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and said, “Screw.” Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z I held the knife and apple in imitation and, with the first paring motion, sliced my thumb open. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z When it was time for the festival to begin and I’d given the tech person the thumb drive with our movie and the bonus footage on it, I walked back out to the audience. From Twinkle, with Love 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z We walked along the narrow side of the road single file, holding out our thumbs and watching for cops. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z He pulls out his pocket watch and runs his thumb across the crystal, lighting up the mockingjay. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z She liked how he grinned when she brushed her thumbs across his nipples. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z He jerked a thumb in the direction of the upper floor. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z Now he’s just thumbing his nose at his attackers. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z His manner is mild, his hands large, with thick fingers and acquisitive thumbs, his blue eyes uncommunicative, falsely innocuous. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Afterward, he sat thoughtfully rubbing his thumb and forefinger together. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z I told him I was just trying to get my cap back and the bigger kid got on top of me and yanked till he broke my thumb. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z He stretches the rubber band taut between his thumb and index finger. Everything, Everything 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z It’s like little Agnes sucking her thumb, she scolded herself, but she didn’t stop. Lyddie 1991-02-01T00:00:00Z She put her thumb and her index finger together. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z The police found him on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, thumbing west. Orbiting Jupiter 2015-10-06T00:00:00Z Mother thumbed through her cookbook and planned our Sunday dinner while Viola tried to lead me down the tricky path of pastry-dough making. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z She figured she could walk as far as the interstate; then she'd stick out her thumb for station wagons and minivans. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z Dobrynya artfully yanked a magic thread with only his thumb, and a ball of water intercepted the axe, knocking it off its path. Anya and the Dragon 2019-09-24T00:00:00Z And when they came, he ate them down greedily, pushing them into his mouth with his bamboo chopsticks, while the boy stood and spun the coppers between his black thumb and forefinger. The Good Earth 1931-03-02T00:00:00Z Rubs a thumb over the key, then holds it up to the light; squints at it. Clean Getaway 2020-01-07T00:00:00Z Once the brim was pinched between his thumb and forefinger, the arm retracted like fishing line on a reel. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z I fixed the Alar firmly in my mind, put my thumb and forefinger in front of my pursed lips, and blew between them. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z He took a final suck at his thumb. The Chocolate War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Florida sticks out like a green and brown thumb. Ninth Ward 2010-08-16T00:00:00Z Next you craft a chin and push the clay with your thumb to add a little dimple. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z Then I would make a circle with my index finger and my thumb, and push the bottle through the circle. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z I picked up the envelope and rubbed my thumb across the seal, but all of a sudden, my fingers stopped working and I froze in place. From the Desk of Zoe Washington 2020-01-14T00:00:00Z “I can hear dishes clinking in the Starlight Room. The cook just cut his thumb. He says—” “Not there! Can’t you open your ears more?” The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z As construction continued, Oppenheimer was often seen strolling the streets of his growing town in jeans and a Western shirt, his thumbs tucked into his belt. Bomb 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z She licked her thumb and wiped a smudge of dirt off my cheek. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He kept one foot planted on the chain’s anchor and his thumb on the UP button. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z She stripped away the green, resinous wood, pausing to remove a splinter from her thumb. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z She pressed her thumb hard in the palm of my hand, something we both knew meant Listen. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z Bridge walked to the end of the line, realizing as she got closer that Sherm was standing there with his phone, scrolling with a thumb. Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z We found her pigging out at an overturned hot dog stand while the owner was curled up on the sidewalk, sucking his thumb. The Last Olympian 2009-05-05T00:00:00Z They waved back, smiling, but he noticed that Lily was watching him solemnly, her thumb in her mouth. The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z Chubs rubbed a thumb across his lower lip. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z Bod took it, then said, “Ow,” as something stabbed into the base of his thumb. The Graveyard Book 2008-09-30T00:00:00Z She had curly hair and a paintbrush in one hand and one of those wooden things artist people put their thumbs through that has all the colors of paint on it. Absolutely Almost 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z I remove the wire contraption and wait with my thumb on the cork. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z She runs her thumb along my knuckles like she is counting each one and then she doesn’t let go. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z He picked up a cheese knife from the counter and carefully ran his thumb along the edge and laid the knife down. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z All you have to do is to lift up your right hand and cross your right thumb over your first finger in the form of the cross. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Gimli sat hunched by the fire, running his thumb thoughtfully along the edge of his axe. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z August looks down at the finger sticking into his chest, pauses a few beats, and then takes it daintily between thumb and forefinger. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z He grimaced, knuckling the back of his thumb into his upper stomach. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z But her fingers graze my jawline, her thumb on my chin. Leah on the Offbeat 2018-04-24T00:00:00Z He pried open her bleeding hand and drove his thumb into the slash of her open wound. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z The officer turned to someone behind him, jerked his thumb at Petey. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z Kalyani sat on the bed and absentmindedly patted Lenin, who was asleep next to his tiny grandmother, sucking his thumb. The God of Small Things 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z I point my thumb behind me and I tell her, “Got it. Got that window open.” The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z The Mellower pressed his thumb to the lock, which hummed as it considered his print. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z “Just as I suspected,” he continued, opening a large dusty book and thumbing through the pages. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z The nails on all four fingers were black now, though not yet on his thumb. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z Then she drags her thumb across her throat and points at Mr. Sheep Sheep, the same smile stitched on her face. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z I run my thumb over the screen to wipe away an unexpected pang of guilt. Love, Hate & Other Filters 2018-01-16T00:00:00Z Agent Jones made a gun motion with his thumb and forefinger. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z His mouth twisted like he’d just slammed a car door on his thumb. The Pigman 1968-10-12T00:00:00Z They got more by thumbing cracks in the wall, spilling broken chunks onto the ground. The Maze Runner 2009-10-06T00:00:00Z “Oh, listen to her,” Humble jerks his thumb. It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z I want so badly to prove her wrong that I almost say yes, but instead I chew the skin around my thumb and say, “I need to think about it.” Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z I would shout, and thumb my nose at him and scoot away into the crowd. Milkweed 2003-09-09T00:00:00Z I even had the urge to suck my thumb. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z She reached up and with her thumb made a cross on my forehead. Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z But with Constantine’s thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z I nodded and put the ring on my thumb, not able to swallow the ham past the lump in my throat. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z Lying on my back on my bed, I thumbed through some pages of The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z Then she did that gross thing where she licked her thumb and was about to rub some dirt off my cheek, but I leaped away from her. Lawn Boy Returns 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z “My cousin is at Harry Potter World right now,” he says, flicking his thumb over his phone screen. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z I wanted him to come to me, to take my hands and kiss my fingers, to run his thumb over my lips, but those weren’t the sorts of things we did anymore. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z Here they were hidden from view, and as Kate waited for Reynie to catch his breath, she jerked her thumb behind them, where the land erupted into a jumbled labyrinth of dunes and rocky hills. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z I reach out and touch the green rail, running my thumb across a ridged section where the paint is chipped and flaking. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z How do you do that, with the shrimp and your thumb? Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z She ran her thumb over the shell's ridges and then gave it back. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z Then he resumed a life of constant motion, riding his thumb north and west through Red Bluff, Weaverville, and Willow Creek. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z “I’ve been holding that button so long my thumb is going to fall off.” The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z I leaned over the gunnel and with my thumbs pushed from under one of the hooks the rope that held down the tarpaulin. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z I flip through the napkins with my thumb. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z Her wrists suddenly free, she shoved her thumbs, into the corpuscule’s eyes and pushed. Shadowshaper 2015-06-30T00:00:00Z “Hot chilies and cayenne,” adds Zion, sticking out a thumb and finger. Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z They raised their arms high overhead and lifted their thumbs like a forest of small apostrophes at the ends of their closed fists. The View From Saturday 1996-09-01T00:00:00Z He took off another one that had been heating there and wet his thumb to test it. Dragonwings 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Jerking his thumb towards the Savage, “He’s curious, you know,” Bernard added. Brave New World 1932-01-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed through The Lord of the Rings for a minute and then tossed it aside, digging deeper until he pulled out my little orange child-proof medicine bottle. Darius the Great Is Not Okay 2018-08-28T00:00:00Z The occasional car whizzed by, and Dad stuck out his thumb, but none of them stopped. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z She pointed at the pillowcase that Valencia still had pinched between her thumb and index finger. Hello, Universe 2017-03-14T00:00:00Z Then she circled her neck with the thumbs and forefingers of both hands and looked at me. Kindred 1979-06-01T00:00:00Z His red face was stony with displeasure, but he held up his hand and put it thumbs down. The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z He keeps his hand on my cheek, moving his thumb over my cheekbone idly. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z He reaches up to my face, wipes the tears off my cheekbones with his thumb. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z Ruth stayed in the wagon, her bare feet curled up under her skirt and her thumb in her mouth. Chains 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z In eighth grade he had torn ligaments in his thumb. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Starting with her thumb, she commences counting down, rolling each finger one at a time into her palm as she talked. The Journey of Little Charlie 2018-01-30T00:00:00Z Her face was pale and as wrinkled as a dhobi’s thumb from being in water for too long. The God of Small Things 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z He obliged, pinching his thumb and forefinger together and shaking them in the air for emphasis, like a French chef on a TV commercial. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z Fiona took my hand and started pinching my palm between the thumb and index finger. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z Gritting her teeth, she stuck her thumb with the pin and then squeezed two drops of blood into the mixture. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z You used your thumb to move beads up, and you used your pointer finger to move beads down. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z “First, fold your fingers down, tips to base. Yeah. Now fold them again, toward that meat below your thumb. Right. Now tuck your thumb up to hold it all together. Much better.” Goodbye Stranger 2015-08-04T00:00:00Z His thumb rubbed the center of my palm. We Were Liars 2014-05-13T00:00:00Z The man was thumbing through a motorcycle magazine, but I assumed he was listening to every word we said. Flush 2005-09-13T00:00:00Z Behind him were two county troopers standing in front of the doorway and they had their thumbs hooked into their pants pockets. Dead End in Norvelt 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z His thumb slid down, and now it was stroking the hollow above her collarbone, then the flesh beneath it. A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z He studied the sculpture, then suddenly reached over and smeared off Shakespeare’s mouth with his thumb. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z He concealed a quarter in his right palm, and openly displayed the other quarter in his left hand, between finger and thumb. American Gods 2011-06-21T00:00:00Z I hooked my thumbs into my backpack straps, just to have something to do with my hands. The Science of Breakable Things 2018-03-06T00:00:00Z He rubbed a thumb over his tattoo, hoping that his gamble had been worth it. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z Near her stood a small boy in very short pants, sucking his thumb. The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z And as soon as the door shuts, he cups my face in his hands, tracing his thumbs along my cheekbones. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z I withdrew my thumb from the Object’s pants and sat up straight. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z “I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along,” said Lennie. Of Mice and Men 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z Then I picked up a drop of Coke with the bottom of my straw and sealed the top with my thumb. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z Park ran his hand out to her hip and back again, catching his thumb under her sweater. Eleanor & Park 2013-02-26T00:00:00Z Standing behind Eric, the Trunchbull reached out and took hold of the boy's two ears, one with each hand, pinching them between forefinger and thumb. Matilda 1988-10-01T00:00:00Z Her Dad looked out the doorway and picked his nose with his thumb in a worried way. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z Maybe I made my pledge too loud, because when I sat down, the boy across the room raised his thumb again. Homesick 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Beneath his thumb he could feel the ridge of the gouged J the place where Jonas had carved his name. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z They thumbed controllers and tried to blast Kyle out of the sky. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics 2016-01-05T00:00:00Z He thumbed through a file and said, “Madame Meursault came to us three years ago. You were her sole support.” The Stranger 1989-03-13T00:00:00Z Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z He wrapped his little fingers around her thumb and tugged. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z While he's thumbing, I say, "I get to pick who plays him." Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z I thumbed the pages and saw strange words and strange names. Black Boy 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z As he was thumbing through his accounts book, the stout woman entered, alone. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z From the makeshift bandolier, she removed a small can of hair spray, thumbing off the top. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z She stood still in the doorway, smiling a little at them, rubbing the nails of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the other. Of Mice and Men 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z But George had other plans for my thumb; he sunk his teeth into it. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z After all, they were biting their thumbs and waving their wanna-be swords. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z I squatted down, pushed my feet back against the blocks, stretched out my thumbs and index fingers and placed them on the edge of the white starting line. Ghost 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z To unfurl my fingers, he first straightened my thumb. The City Beautiful 2021-10-05T00:00:00Z I bite on my thumb, calming the urge to look over my shoulder at Tony. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z Lord Godric took a pinch between his thumb and forefinger and sprinkled his own trencher. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z “So he was trying to light that thing on fire? Why didn’t it work? What’s—” Bast tightened his grip, his thumb digging into the hollow beneath Chronicler’s collarbone. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z She kisses him on both cheeks, then touches his bruises with her thumbs. All the Light We Cannot See 2014-05-06T00:00:00Z He gripped the pen so tightly it impressed channels into the tips of his thumb and forefinger. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z “Cross your thumb over your pointing finger, like this....No, not with that hand....You must always use your right hand,” she said, holding it out to make sure I knew the difference. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z Her thumb was bruised, Maya suddenly noticed, and one of her fingers had a scabbed-over cut. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z Van Eck thumbed through the papers in his hand. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z My hands are already stiff from cold, so I take Rue's spare pair of socks, cut holes for my fingers and thumbs, and pull them on. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z Judge Lew Fielding looked down from the bench with the tip of his left forefinger set against his nose and his chin propped against his thumb. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z Instead, every so often, she would test its consistency by rubbing a pinch of it between her thumb and forefinger, put a little on the tip of her tongue, and immediately spit it out. Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z He bites his thumb where the nail is missing. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z Will backed the car, turned it around, looked out the window to give them the thumbs up signal, and drove away. Homecoming 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z The tip of it juts out and up like an ugly thumb and the serrashuns along one side spring up like gnashing teeth and the blade edge pulses like a vein full of blood. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z She swabbed at the counter with her thumb, smudging the granite. Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z The receptionist reappears, thumbs me to follow her, cigarette dangling in her hand. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z He jabbed his thumb at Magister Spurge and grunted, “Why hasn’t this pale night-worm crawled back to the hole he came from?” The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge 2018-09-25T00:00:00Z Fezzik made a fist again, this time with the thumb outside. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z Ned broke the wax with his thumb and flattened the letter to consider the king's urgent com-mand, reading the words with mounting disbelief. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z She feels its absence between her thumb and forefinger. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z I place my thumb and forefinger on the back of his fetlock. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z “When I was little,” he says, or hopes he says, “we used to pick berries by the Ruhr. My sister and me. We’d find berries as big as our thumbs.” All the Light We Cannot See 2014-05-06T00:00:00Z He made a cross on my forehead with the flat of his thumb. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z He is seated at a table with three other men, twaddling a fat cigar between the finger and thumb of one hand and holding five fanned cards in the other. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z And stroking his bottom lip with a thumb. How It Went Down 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z Her thumbs moved over his lashes, and he realized he was holding his breath. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z He began thumbing through a few of the titles: Isidore of Seville, an illuminated copy of The Rule of Saint Benedict, Saint Augustine’s Confessions. The Inquisitor's Tale 2016-09-27T00:00:00Z Kenny patted his basketball nervously and Allen absentmindedly thumbed through his book. Lawn Boy Returns 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z TimeStar held his time travel device in his palm, triggered it with his thumb. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z I cup them, running my thumbs over them and feeling her nipples contract under the cotton of her dress. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z ‘I mean that if you have the courage I can cut through the scar— free the thumb.’ Johnny Tremain 1943-01-01T00:00:00Z He touches his thumb briefly to the tip of each finger. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda 2015-03-25T00:00:00Z Matthew shook a fist with his thumb and pinkie raised. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z Mama hesitated, then all of a sudden smiled and, clasping her hands together, raised them and touched her thumbs to her forehead—a way she had of showing when she was happy. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z “Ouch!” she cried out, putting her thumb in her mouth for the second time that day. Stella by Starlight 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z She takes my father’s hand and moves her thumb in a small circle over his knuckles. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z I then stuck my thumb into his wide-open mouth, as my mother had told me. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z The cold, slimy thing grazed Sheed’s thumb, causing him to recoil and squeal. The Last Last-Day-of-Summer 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z He found a hard flake of crystal in his sleeve, held it tight between thumb and forefinger as he reached for the cup. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z He wrapped the hairs around a thumb and tugged. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z Beneath the table, I rubbed my thumb against the callus of my finger. Turtles All the Way Down 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z He opened the small door on the box and used his thumb to pull down the lever. The Great Fire 1995-04-01T00:00:00Z She put her thumb against one of the locks and slid it. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z Pensive, he bit at the inside of his thumb. An Abundance of Katherines 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z “What’s that for?” he said, jabbing a thumb at the poster. The Smartest Kid in the Universe 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z He gives me this long look and then he hooks his thumb at the door and says, "Show time is over, boys. Get out of here, the both of you." Freak The Mighty 1993-10-01T00:00:00Z He presses his thumb against one of my shirt buttons. What If It's Us 2018-10-09T00:00:00Z She wears a different ring on each finger—even her thumbs—and about fifty gold bangle bracelets on her arms; they rattle as she plays. Blended 2018-10-30T00:00:00Z He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stared at it, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, then put it back. The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z He clicked on the TV and thumbed the remote to find the Dog Squad playback. Dog Squad 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z Feeling the fuzzy hair of the beans between my thumb and finger, I crave to put it in my mouth before anyone sees me, but instead I drop it in the basket. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z Fred enters the room and holds up a small thumb drive. Internment 2019-03-07T00:00:00Z Just stood in front of the sink and took the bandage off my thumb. The Lions of Little Rock 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z It was as rough as the wood grain of the table in the dining hall, the skin along his thumb as hard and dry as leather cracking with age. Uglies 2005-02-08T00:00:00Z The little store-front church was only half filled when they walked in, but Reverend Price was already behind the lectern, thumbing through his Bible. The Contender 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z “He stuck his thumb right through my sandwich,” I said. Wish 2016-08-30T00:00:00Z His thumbs stroked the length of my jaw, but even they stilled as I pulled back and turned away from him. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z And when Reagan went on TV and called the Shorawi “the Evil Empire,” Baba went out and bought a picture of the grinning president giving a thumbs up. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z I thought I saw Kwang nip the other waitress’ ankle with his finger and thumb. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z I reached up and took the fatty part of her cheek, not dough, but meat, between my thumb and finger. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Calpurnia thrust her into a stiffly starched pink dress, held her chin firmly between thumb and forefinger, and raked her hair with a sharp-toothed comb. Go Set a Watchman: A Novel 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z Bracing myself against the wall, I drew out my hand lamp and thumbed it on to its dimmest setting. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z Once all eight cones were loaded, Daniel reached underneath and took one chicken’s head between his first finger and thumb. The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z He pulled out a directory and thumbed through it. The Wednesday Wars 2007-05-21T00:00:00Z “Press your thumb and index finger against the grip. Thumb and finger control the blade. Not your wrist or arm.” Black Brother, Black Brother 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z I told you so, said Ralph from the mitten thumb, but no one heard him. Ralph S. Mouse 1992-08-01T00:00:00Z I drove across the upraised thumb of Idaho and through real mountains that climbed straight up, tufted with pines and deep- dusted with snow. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z “You’re lucky his hand isn’t broken. It was a sprain, his mother said. The thumb. Still, it’ll be two weeks before he can get back.” Burning Blue 2012-10-25T00:00:00Z Her lack of fear for her safety—particularly among blacks, where she often stuck out like a sore thumb and seemed an easy target for muggers—had me stumped. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z He had a little fleshy knob on the center of his upper lip that drooped down over his lower lip in a sort of effeminate pout—the kind that children who suck their thumbs develop. The God of Small Things 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z My thumb still hurt, and so did my foot. Fourth Grade Rats 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Furious with Ryan for not managing to save him from this indignity, he crawled into the thumb, where he thought mean thoughts about everyone in Room 5. Ralph S. Mouse 1992-08-01T00:00:00Z There was a touch of rust already forming on the cutting edge of the blade and he rubbed it off with his thumbs. Hatchet 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z The man made no answer and kept his eyes dosed, but he lifted his hand again and pointed onward with his thumb. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z He seized one of Winston’s remaining front teeth between his powerful thumb and forefinger. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z It was not locked and he opened it with the two sliding thumb releases on either end of the handle edge. The River 1991-06-01T00:00:00Z Plucking Root’s eyelid with thumb and forefinger, he slotted in the iris-cam. Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z He sat down, with folded hands balancing his forehead on the balls of his thumbs. The Bluest Eye 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z I thought we were placed in front because Momma was proud of us, but Bailey assured me that she just wanted to keep her grandchildren under her thumb and eye. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Kat said she felt like a sore thumb. The London Eye Mystery 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z He pulled back the eyelids with his thumb, leaning close, careful not to touch the eyeglasses which were skewed on top of Bunny’s head. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z No. I was starting to get upset, pounding the board with my right thumb once more. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z Ruby lifts her hand to my face and rubs at one of my cheeks with her thumb. How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z Ladybird gave her two thumbs up and smiled. Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z She smiled and rubbed her coarse thumb against his cheek. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z She looped a piece of thread, knotted into a circle between her index fingers and thumbs, and ran the double strand across her forehead. The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z They were red the rest of the day, and I couldn’t suck my thumb that night. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z He popped one out with his thumb, revealing a blank orb. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z Ralph cradled the fish head with his two hands, stroking it with his thumbs. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z She was sucking her thumb and keening to herself. Fever 1793 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z I picked up a smooth black rock, felt it between my thumb and forefinger. We Were Here 2009-10-05T00:00:00Z “Like maybe you got her green thumb. The two of us could plant something and see how it grows; test your thumb out.” Because of Winn-Dixie 2000-03-01T00:00:00Z Then I turned out the light and lay down with my hands—with the pencil smudge on my thumb—back behind my head and I looked out the window. Okay for Now 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z Vega was thumbing through stuff on his phone. The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z Then, in mid-February, a Hazleton animal caretaker who will be called John Coleus was performing a necropsy on a dead monkey when he cut his thumb with a scalpel. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z He swiveled around on the rim of the sink and, craning over his shoulder, spotted two matching thumb marks on the nape of his neck. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z “She believes the rats want your father to make them a thumb!” Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z She plops down in the chair next to me, and licks her thumb as she tries to rub off a barbecue stain on the lapel of her blazer. Dumplin' 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z Even though my confidence had been shaken by what I had seen and experienced, there were times when I disobeyed the rules and thumbed my nose at the Nazis. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z I held a sharp blue edge of steel tightly between thumb and forefinger of each fist. Black Boy 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z “Actually, no, she was mad at Charlotte,” Ximena answered, pointing her thumb at me. Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z “Come on. Just fold those fingers up; fingers on the inside, thumbs on the outside. Say something. Honk me back. You’re so tall, and you let me pick on you. “Would you like a hanky? The Woman Warrior 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Only thumb and forefinger remained on the hand that held the reins; the other fingers had been sheared off catching a wildling's axe that would otherwise have split his skull. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z I rubbed my thumb and index finger together, then brought them to my nose and inhaled. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z Piper brushed her thumb against the scar on his lip. Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z He walked toward me with his thumbs jammed into his pockets and his eyes squinted half shut from the glare. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Kelly gestured her thumb at her snoring father. George 2015-08-25T00:00:00Z He approached the flesh with relish, pinning it to his rusk with a thumb and devouring it. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves 2009-10-13T00:00:00Z Sprawled beside the window, the girl seemed to shine in the moonlight, her thumb in her mouth. Orphan Island 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z Daario brushed his thumbs across his sword hilts and smiled dangerously. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z A sharp pain shot through the tender flesh below his thumb. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z I rub the charm between my finger and thumb. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z She wanted to trace the curves of his brows with her thumbs, to brush her lips against the soft freckled corner of his eyelid. The Reader 2016-01-12T00:00:00Z He’s breaking the rules, under their noses, thumbing his nose at them, getting away with it. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z I don’t even have to aim with my thumb—I can use my whole fist. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z And when Kino saw this knife his eyes lighted up, and he fondled the blade and his thumb tested the edge. The Pearl 1947-01-01T00:00:00Z Keys as long as Marie-Laure’s forearm and keys shorter than her thumb. All the Light We Cannot See 2014-05-06T00:00:00Z Thankfully my injured thumb was on my chording hand, where it would be a relatively minor inconvenience. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z So quiet that in the previous year’s race against California he’d rowed the whole two miles with his thumb cut to the bone and never mentioned it to anyone. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z Matthew shook a fist with his thumb and pinkie raised. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z She closed her eyes, feeling his thumbs trace the line of her lips. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z I found myself standing across the filling station with my thumb out toward War. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z “Stand guard,” I tell Jaimito, who is staring at a bee and sucking on his thumb. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Our mother was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea and thumbing through a magazine. It All Comes Down to This 2017-07-11T00:00:00Z The thumb of her left hand was covered with blood. A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z I tuck my thumb on the underside and scratch. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle 2018-01-23T00:00:00Z He took it up, rolled it quickly between thumb and forefinger, and then cast it contemptuously back into the tray. The Pearl 1947-01-01T00:00:00Z When it clattered to the linoleum, she brought her arms down, oh, so slowly, and cradled her breasts as though they were two mangoes thumbed over in the marketplace and pushed aside. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z He thumbed a smudge on his left shoe. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z His pistol was loaded, but he checked to make sure, nervously thumbing the hammer back and in a few times. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z He licked a thumb and held it up. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z With a jab of the thumbs, he pressed the sodden cloth between Mr. Sharpe’s lips. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z He twisted the cap off the gascan and he made a small paper spill from one of the seedpackets and poured gas into the bottle and put his thumb over the mouth and shook it. The Road 2006-09-28T00:00:00Z He finally pulled so hard I felt my thumb snap and separate to go with him. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z Sassur’s thumbs were tied together to show that he could no longer work, and his big toes were also tied together so that his ghost could not return. Homeless Bird 2000-03-01T00:00:00Z He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops, then pulled them free. Out of Darkness 2015-09-01T00:00:00Z His hand, when he touched his pinky to his thumb, felt raw. Typical American 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z She reaches out and rubs it with her thumb. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z So I take my right thumb and push the on button. Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z He paced his office, holding his pipe in the palm of his left hand and rubbing it with his thumb. Breaking Through 2001-08-27T00:00:00Z I thumbed my fare and climbed out of the cab. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z He picked up a crystal cat, no bigger than his thumb. Stardust 1998-10-01T00:00:00Z No one knew exactly how many pies his thumb had explored, but it was known that he was a clever and comparatively rich man. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z His left hand closed, stubby fingers locking into a fist; Stannis had hacked the ends off at the last joint, all but the thumb. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z Shift gears. sticks out like a sore thumb. Woe Is I 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z The old woman cries softly, her hand clutching his small one, her thumb massaging the top of his hand in a circle. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z He snapped his thumb and forefinger, and the penny disappeared. The Bluest Eye 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z She clutched her amulet, running a thumb across the stone in the center. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z Chris said, still staring down at his phone, his thumbs moving crazy fast. The Boy in the Black Suit 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z Papa opened the Times bundle and thumbed through a copy looking for the letter. The Cricket in Times Square 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z |
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英语例句辞典收录了117811条英语例句在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词及词组的例句翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。