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
Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
The asparagus keeps it from feeling heavy and cutting the stalks into small coins miraculously doubles its volume.
—Bon Appétit, 3 May 2024
After setting my destination and flicking a stalk on the steering column, the amusement-park ride started: The wheel turned in my hands and the car rolled forward.
—Jim Sergent, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
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
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 May 2024
In 2016, a man who had been stalking the iCarly alum, 30, lit himself on fire and then fatally shot himself in her front yard.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Eight years ago, a man who stalked the iCarly star, 30, lit himself on fire and fatally shot himself in the front yard of her Los Angeles home.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 May 2024
The only California horse in the race, Stronghold, was in a good stalking position through the first mile but got swallowed up by closers and finished seventh.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
But after a day of my stalking around, none of them had.
—Edmund Lee, New York Times, 3 May 2024
What makes Baby Reindeer so endlessly fascinating is the interplay of Donny’s modular parts—his ego, his material, his gender, his trauma—and stalking as a catalyst that unnerves all four.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 3 May 2024
The claims include stalking, physical harassment, and aggressive behavior.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
In Khao Sok National Park, in the southern peninsula of Thailand, a trail camera installed by wildlife officials captured one of these mysterious big cats stalking through the forest, according to an April 30 Facebook post from Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 May 2024
Noun
The 59-year-old picked a firm stalk from the ground.
—Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
The asparagus keeps it from feeling heavy and cutting the stalks into small coins miraculously doubles its volume.
—Bon Appétit, 3 May 2024
After setting my destination and flicking a stalk on the steering column, the amusement-park ride started: The wheel turned in my hands and the car rolled forward.
—Jim Sergent, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
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
Verb
But Claudia, ever the hunter, stalks the night in search of other vampires and finds an emaciated, corpse-like figure feasting on soldiers in the woods.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 13 May 2024
In 2016, a man who had been stalking the iCarly alum, 30, lit himself on fire and then fatally shot himself in her front yard.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Eight years ago, a man who stalked the iCarly star, 30, lit himself on fire and fatally shot himself in the front yard of her Los Angeles home.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 May 2024
The only California horse in the race, Stronghold, was in a good stalking position through the first mile but got swallowed up by closers and finished seventh.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2024
But after a day of my stalking around, none of them had.
—Edmund Lee, New York Times, 3 May 2024
What makes Baby Reindeer so endlessly fascinating is the interplay of Donny’s modular parts—his ego, his material, his gender, his trauma—and stalking as a catalyst that unnerves all four.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 3 May 2024
The claims include stalking, physical harassment, and aggressive behavior.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
In Khao Sok National Park, in the southern peninsula of Thailand, a trail camera installed by wildlife officials captured one of these mysterious big cats stalking through the forest, according to an April 30 Facebook post from Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 May 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 15 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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