1
: a slender upright object or supporting or connecting part
especially
: peduncle
2
a
: the main stem of an herbaceous plant often with its dependent parts
b
: a part of a plant (such as a petiole or stipe) that supports another
stalked; stalking; stalks
1
: to pursue by stalking
2
: to go through (an area) in search of prey or quarry
stalk the woods for deer
3
: to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment
Synonyms
Examples of stalk in a Sentence
Verb
a movie about a detective being stalked by a killer
This is the time of year when hunters are stalking the woods for deer.
She called the police because her ex-boyfriend was stalking her.
She angrily stalked out of the room.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Clifford, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
As the garlic matures, the green stalks will toughen like a leek, in which case the stalks should be omitted.
—Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
But after an outcry around AirTags being used to stalk people, Apple changed that to a random duration between 8 and 24 hours.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
According to the recall report, the right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped.
—USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Root to leaf and seed to skin: Cut waste and boost flavor with recipes that use the whole vegetable
Penne With Asparagus Pesto and White Beans
Asparagus pulls double duty in this recipe with its stalks blended into a pesto and its tips sauteed and mixed with pasta and beans.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
Once built, the piranha plant stands over nine inches, and the head, stalk, mouth, and leaves can all be posed by the builder.
—Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
This causes the plant to produce a seed stalk, which can reduce the yield of the plant come harvest time.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The stalks should be firm and smooth, other than the tiny petal leaves that emerge.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Melissa Noel, Essence, 28 Apr. 2024
Continue reading here… 'STALKING ME' - Gisele Bündchen cries to Florida police about paparazzi 'stalking' her.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 27 Apr. 2024
Miami-Dade Police arrested her on charges of aggravated stalking, resisting arrest and trespassing.
—Camellia Burris, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2024
Or accidentally liked an old photo of an ex while on a social media (read: stalking) deep dive?
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
Payton’s stalked the sideline as an NFL head coach in 258 regular-season games, won 62% of them and started a rookie quarterback exactly once.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2024
Yet the recent history of violence in France — including the 2015 terror attack in Paris that left 138 people dead and at least 416 injured — stalks public consciousness there.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
What follows is a descent into madness as Gosling’s character then stalks and publicly confronts the Disney designer responsible for the font choice.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
Eclipse fear has long stalked our species in one form or another.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
The groves are particularly attractive when there is a light wind and the tall bamboo stalks sway gently back and forth.
—John Clifford, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
As the garlic matures, the green stalks will toughen like a leek, in which case the stalks should be omitted.
—Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
But after an outcry around AirTags being used to stalk people, Apple changed that to a random duration between 8 and 24 hours.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
According to the recall report, the right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped.
—USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
Root to leaf and seed to skin: Cut waste and boost flavor with recipes that use the whole vegetable
Penne With Asparagus Pesto and White Beans
Asparagus pulls double duty in this recipe with its stalks blended into a pesto and its tips sauteed and mixed with pasta and beans.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
Once built, the piranha plant stands over nine inches, and the head, stalk, mouth, and leaves can all be posed by the builder.
—Alida Nugent, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
This causes the plant to produce a seed stalk, which can reduce the yield of the plant come harvest time.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
The stalks should be firm and smooth, other than the tiny petal leaves that emerge.
—Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
There are several charges against Darien, including stalking, theft, disrupting school operations, and retaliation against a witness.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 28 Apr. 2024
Continue reading here… 'STALKING ME' - Gisele Bündchen cries to Florida police about paparazzi 'stalking' her.
—Fox News Staff, Fox News, 27 Apr. 2024
Miami-Dade Police arrested her on charges of aggravated stalking, resisting arrest and trespassing.
—Camellia Burris, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2024
Or accidentally liked an old photo of an ex while on a social media (read: stalking) deep dive?
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 23 Apr. 2024
Payton’s stalked the sideline as an NFL head coach in 258 regular-season games, won 62% of them and started a rookie quarterback exactly once.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2024
Yet the recent history of violence in France — including the 2015 terror attack in Paris that left 138 people dead and at least 416 injured — stalks public consciousness there.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
What follows is a descent into madness as Gosling’s character then stalks and publicly confronts the Disney designer responsible for the font choice.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
Eclipse fear has long stalked our species in one form or another.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stalk.' 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 stalk
Cite this Entry
“Stalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalk. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stalk
2 of 3 verb1
a
: to hunt slowly and quietly
stalk deer
b
: to go through (an area) in search of prey
stalk the woods for deer
2
: to walk in a stiff or proud manner
stalked out of the room
3
: to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment
stalker
noun
stalk
3 of 3 noun1
: the act of stalking
2
: a stalking manner of walking
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