1
: a group of things clustered together
a clump of bushes
2
: a compact mass
3
: a heavy tramping sound
clumped; clumping; clumps
: to arrange in or cause to form clumps
Synonyms
Examples of clump in a Sentence
Noun
There is a clump of bushes at the edge of the field.
I could hear the clump of his footsteps as he came down the stairs.
Verb
The virus clumps the cells together.
a child clumping around the house in her father's oversized boots
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
This new image also peers into a clump of helium gas surrounding the galaxy.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
The first pests in spring are clumps of aphids on our new foliage and buds.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Observations reveal elaborate networks of material, including compact clumps of gas and long, skinny, noodlelike structures called filaments woven throughout.
—Nia Imara, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
Break off small clumps and scatter all over the top of the blackberries.
—Ellise Pierce, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
Two brides in white dresses smile at each other standing at the altar, as their hands meld together into an ungodly finger clump.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The fries are on the thicker side, able to support the clumps of cheese and drizzles of gravy, while the faintly tart relish adds crunch and brightness to cut through the grease.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
The consistency is similar to milk, without any clumps or grainy feeling, which children with sensory challenges may prefer.
—Tamar Kane, Ms, Rd, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters.
—USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
Cincinnati was a true melting pot with its diverse, ethnic population clumped together within the downtown basin.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2024
When cleaning, the bristles gently separated from the foundation and didn’t clump together while wet.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024
Serve immediately and hold over Sterno to keep the cheese from cooling and clumping together.
—Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
The cells clumped together, blocking blood flow and unleashing excruciating bouts of pain.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2023
Gravity likes things to clump, but the early universe at the time of the Big Bang in space was very, very uniform.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
No feathers were poking out of the fabric, all the seams were intact, and the down was not clumped and lumpy in the squares.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
Noun
When is a human embryo not simply a clump of cells but a person with distinct legal rights?
—Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
This new image also peers into a clump of helium gas surrounding the galaxy.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024
The first pests in spring are clumps of aphids on our new foliage and buds.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Observations reveal elaborate networks of material, including compact clumps of gas and long, skinny, noodlelike structures called filaments woven throughout.
—Nia Imara, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
Break off small clumps and scatter all over the top of the blackberries.
—Ellise Pierce, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
Two brides in white dresses smile at each other standing at the altar, as their hands meld together into an ungodly finger clump.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
The fries are on the thicker side, able to support the clumps of cheese and drizzles of gravy, while the faintly tart relish adds crunch and brightness to cut through the grease.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
The consistency is similar to milk, without any clumps or grainy feeling, which children with sensory challenges may prefer.
—Tamar Kane, Ms, Rd, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
Her ’60s clumped lashes and coiffed hair, for example, are still highly referenced today.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters.
—USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
Cincinnati was a true melting pot with its diverse, ethnic population clumped together within the downtown basin.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 7 Jan. 2024
When cleaning, the bristles gently separated from the foundation and didn’t clump together while wet.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024
Serve immediately and hold over Sterno to keep the cheese from cooling and clumping together.
—Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
The cells clumped together, blocking blood flow and unleashing excruciating bouts of pain.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 19 Dec. 2023
Gravity likes things to clump, but the early universe at the time of the Big Bang in space was very, very uniform.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
No feathers were poking out of the fabric, all the seams were intact, and the down was not clumped and lumpy in the squares.
—Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clump.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near clump
Cite this Entry
“Clump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clump. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
clump
1 of 2 noun
: a clustered mass of particles (as bacteria or blood cells) compare agglutination
clump
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to form clumps
: to arrange in or cause to form clumps
the serum clumps the bacteria
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share