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
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
On Thursday afternoon, stray cats stalked a weedy patch at the back of the property, which is separated from the GardaWorld building by fences, unkempt foliage and a line of trees.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The suffering of Gazan civilians, stalked now by the imminent threat of famine and further destruction, must be paramount in the conscience of the world, and pressure from Washington on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to stop its assault must reflect that.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
In 2018, he was convicted of stalking and indecent exposure, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Included were accounts from the three remaining claims of victims being stalked by former partners or others through AirTags that were allegedly attached to their cars, resulting in emotional and sometimes financial harm.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
Wolf Man, which stars Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) as a man whose family is stalked by a dangerous predator, was written and directed by Whannell.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Former school bus driver followed child's family Chick stalked the child and his family, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
—Ian Lenahan, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Bridget Ann Adams, 40, was convicted of stalking, stalking while prohibited by a court order, false imprisonment, solicitation to commit a crime, two counts of perjury and two counts of witness intimidation, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday in a news release.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 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
Eclipse fear has long stalked our species in one form or another.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2024
On Thursday afternoon, stray cats stalked a weedy patch at the back of the property, which is separated from the GardaWorld building by fences, unkempt foliage and a line of trees.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The suffering of Gazan civilians, stalked now by the imminent threat of famine and further destruction, must be paramount in the conscience of the world, and pressure from Washington on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to stop its assault must reflect that.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
In 2018, he was convicted of stalking and indecent exposure, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 26 Mar. 2024
Included were accounts from the three remaining claims of victims being stalked by former partners or others through AirTags that were allegedly attached to their cars, resulting in emotional and sometimes financial harm.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
Wolf Man, which stars Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) as a man whose family is stalked by a dangerous predator, was written and directed by Whannell.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Former school bus driver followed child's family Chick stalked the child and his family, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
—Ian Lenahan, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Bridget Ann Adams, 40, was convicted of stalking, stalking while prohibited by a court order, false imprisonment, solicitation to commit a crime, two counts of perjury and two counts of witness intimidation, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday in a news release.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 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 1 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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