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
WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023
The resulting compositions play off each other chromatically and spatially: A Slinky mimics the curving neck of a stalk of wild garlic, while a fringed purple tulip’s peeling petals evoke the undone wrapper of a grape lollipop.
—Chloe Malle, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
Ask that friend or stranger to walk really far away from you (roughly one city block) and then stalk towards you, very slowly and expressionless.
—Vulture, 31 Oct. 2023
In addition, caterpillars of azure and swallowtail butterflies move off their host plants during the autumn, in search of upright stalks to keep their chrysalises off the ground.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The genetic mixing resulted in a wheat variety with a strong stalk that produced a golden-colored flour favored by Indians.
—Keith Schneider, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Deep in eastern Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a team of biologists spotted a fuzzy purple stalk protruding from the leaf litter on the ground.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
In the future, terrifying creatures stalk humans, drawn to their sound.
—Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 28 Aug. 2023
The mottled beans that are parboiled and salted, the toxic pokeweed cooked into tasty greens, the dumplings wrapped in hickory leaves and tied with stalks of rush — these, like the milkies, are meant to be shared.
—Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Violence stalked the Middle East as fighting between newly independent Israel and its neighbors created a massive humanitarian crisis and threatened a wider war.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2023
Raised in a family of sport hunters who stalked pheasants and other wild game, Ms. Davis was a meat lover who became a vegan.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Viral excitement and suspicion are swirling around a new app that claims to show Instagram users how others are stalking their content.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
Six months on, Ted (Jane) and Amanda (Chamoun) investigate a bizarre local murder and an exotic drug ring, whilst Amanda tangles with an old enemy and a new love, and Ted’s past stalks him and his family to Crimson Lake – with deadly consequences.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Someone else’s sleeping self is stalked by a gangling figure bathed in blood.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Over the years, her public persona often overshadowed her prodigious output, especially in Britain, where she was stalked by rapacious tabloids.
—Nancy Hass, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Corn stalks work similarly to brown material but take longer to decompose.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2023
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Noun
In late October, farmers in northern India, particularly wheat growers in the states of Punjab and Haryana northwest of Delhi, use a cheap and easy method to clear their paddy fields for fresh sowing—lighting fires to burn off stalks left behind after harvesting.
—WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023
The resulting compositions play off each other chromatically and spatially: A Slinky mimics the curving neck of a stalk of wild garlic, while a fringed purple tulip’s peeling petals evoke the undone wrapper of a grape lollipop.
—Chloe Malle, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
Ask that friend or stranger to walk really far away from you (roughly one city block) and then stalk towards you, very slowly and expressionless.
—Vulture, 31 Oct. 2023
In addition, caterpillars of azure and swallowtail butterflies move off their host plants during the autumn, in search of upright stalks to keep their chrysalises off the ground.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The genetic mixing resulted in a wheat variety with a strong stalk that produced a golden-colored flour favored by Indians.
—Keith Schneider, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Deep in eastern Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a team of biologists spotted a fuzzy purple stalk protruding from the leaf litter on the ground.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
In the future, terrifying creatures stalk humans, drawn to their sound.
—Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 28 Aug. 2023
The mottled beans that are parboiled and salted, the toxic pokeweed cooked into tasty greens, the dumplings wrapped in hickory leaves and tied with stalks of rush — these, like the milkies, are meant to be shared.
—Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Verb
Billie Eilish obtained a restraining order against a man who’s been stalking her and threatening her friends and family.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Violence stalked the Middle East as fighting between newly independent Israel and its neighbors created a massive humanitarian crisis and threatened a wider war.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2023
Raised in a family of sport hunters who stalked pheasants and other wild game, Ms. Davis was a meat lover who became a vegan.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Viral excitement and suspicion are swirling around a new app that claims to show Instagram users how others are stalking their content.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023
Six months on, Ted (Jane) and Amanda (Chamoun) investigate a bizarre local murder and an exotic drug ring, whilst Amanda tangles with an old enemy and a new love, and Ted’s past stalks him and his family to Crimson Lake – with deadly consequences.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2023
Someone else’s sleeping self is stalked by a gangling figure bathed in blood.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Over the years, her public persona often overshadowed her prodigious output, especially in Britain, where she was stalked by rapacious tabloids.
—Nancy Hass, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2023
Corn stalks work similarly to brown material but take longer to decompose.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English stalke; akin to Old English stela stalk, support
Verb
Middle English, from Old English bestealcian; akin to Old English stelan to steal — more at steal
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of stalk was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing stalk
Dictionary Entries Near stalk
Cite this Entry
“Stalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stalk. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
stalk
transitive verbˈstȯk
: to subject to stalking
: to engage in stalking
stalker
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on stalk
Nglish: Translation of stalk for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of stalk for Arabic Speakers
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