clump

noun

\ˈkləmp

Definition of clump

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a group of things clustered together a clump of bushes

2 : a compact mass

3 : a heavy tramping sound

clump

verb

clumped; clumping; clumps

Definition of clump (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to walk or move clumsily and noisily

2 : to form clumps

transitive verb

: to arrange in or cause to form clumps

Other Words from clump Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about clump

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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: Noun

Squeeze and rub ingredients together to form moist clumps and curds. — Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, "A Luscious, Low-Maintenance Alternative to Apple Pie," 21 Nov. 2018 Most mascaras do me a disservice, creating clumps and those pointy clusters of lashes that were all the rage in the '60s. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "The Best Mascaras to Buy Now, According to Vogue Editors," 29 Oct. 2018 Its cause isn’t fully understood, but plaques (clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid, which harms brain cells) are often involved, as are tangles in the system the brain uses to transport nutrients. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What’s the Difference Between Normal Age-Related Memory Decline and Signs of Dementia?," 26 Oct. 2018 Cook, smashing and stirring pork and garlic together, until no clumps remain and meat is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Spicy Larb with Cabbage Cups," 26 Mar. 2018 If smudges or raccoon eyes are your problem, on the other hand, Eyeko's new waterproof 'Yoga' formula, named for its flexible, ultra stretch fibers, provides serious heft without clumps. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "5 New Black Mascaras You Need in Your Life This Fall," 17 Aug. 2018 But in clumps where stars are spread farther apart, exoplanets could still manage to survive. — Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com, "Omega Centauri Is a Terrible Place to Look for Habitable Planets," 15 Aug. 2018 Add oats and pecans and press mixture into small clumps. — Kate Merker, Country Living, "Cast-Iron Apple-Blackberry Crumble with Sour Cream Whip," 13 Aug. 2018 Mac and cheese and skin-on mashed potatoes shared textural challenges, each sticking together in dry clumps. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Get the South out of your mouth at Hoppin’ John," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Other days, getting your curls to stay clumped together is like trying to get a toddler on a sugar high to stand still. — Jihan Forbes, Allure, "Five Editors Reveal Their Favorite Combinations of Curly-Hair Products," 2 July 2018 See, the freezer that the Germans launched has the ability to make atoms clump together in a cloud-like blob called a Bose-Einstein condensate—a phase of matter that exhibits some truly bizarre properties. — Sophia Chen, WIRED, "The Quest to Make Super Cold Quantum Blobs in Space," 25 June 2018 The number and variety of newspapers that continue to exist—in tiny towns with populations in four figures, at gas stations in poor rural counties, and in villages clumped near each other—give hope to even the most pessimistic observer. — The Economist, "Small-town American newspapers are surprisingly resilient," 21 June 2018 Kenneth Setzer Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Bambusa vulgaris — common bamboo — is a fast-growing, clumping bamboo, and has been cultivated into some wild forms lest it become too common. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Need to screen off your neighbors? Here's how to grow a green privacy barrier," 27 June 2018 For example, if Enceladus's ocean were really salty (say, over 4 percent, which is a bit more than Earth's oceans) then the silicate particles would have chemically clumped together, former bigger lumps than were found. — William Herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Warm Ocean on This Moon of Saturn Could Be Perfect for Life," 11 Mar. 2015 Toward the end, the dancers clumped together and switched into a slow-motion mass, shape-shifting across the stage, with Stephanie Kim pulling away for a solo of a deliberate viscous quality. — Laura Bleiberg, latimes.com, "Barak Ballet at the Broad Stage: New moves for a company on the verge," 1 July 2018 Back then, flowers had not yet developed, and the world’s land was clumped together in a supercontinent called Pangaea. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the 240-Million-Year-Old "Mother of All Lizards"," 3 June 2018 Matter is any material that interacts with gravity as normal matter does—becoming clumped into galaxies and galaxy clusters, for example. — Lisa Randall, Scientific American, "What Is Dark Matter?," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clump.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.