stooped; stooping; stoops
1
a
: to bend the body or a part of the body forward and downward sometimes simultaneously bending the knees
b
: to stand or walk with a forward inclination of the head, body, or shoulders
3
a
: to descend from a superior rank, dignity, or status
b
: to lower oneself morally
stooped to lying
4
a
archaic
: to move down from a height : alight
b
: to fly or dive down swiftly usually to attack prey
1
a
: an act of bending the body forward
b
: a temporary or habitual forward bend of the back and shoulders
2
: the descent of a bird especially on its prey
3
: a lowering of oneself
: a porch, platform, entrance stairway, or small veranda at a house door
Examples of stoop in a Sentence
Verb
She stooped down to hug the child.
He had to stoop to pick it up.
He tends to stoop as he walks.
He really did that? I didn't think he could stoop so low.
Noun (2)
the stoop at the front entrance is just big enough to shield a resident from the elements as he fumbles for his keys
Recent Examples on the Web
Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Her hand rested against one cage, where a black cat with a white smudge on the bridge of his nose stooped to drink from a dish of water.
—Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
James Rainey
follow, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
If a poor single woman who came to New York to work in an unstable low-wage job became pregnant out of wedlock, shame, stigma, poverty, lack of childcare options, and the anonymity of city living might lead her to leave her infant on a stoop.
—Time, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoop
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Verb
Starmer stooped to pick them up, later explaining that he was compelled to ditch diplomatic decorum because anyone else trying to help risked spooking the president’s security team.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Her hand rested against one cage, where a black cat with a white smudge on the bridge of his nose stooped to drink from a dish of water.
—Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Noun
One of my earliest memories was of grabbing the L.A. Times off the front stoop the morning after Bobby Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel, right here in Los Angeles.
—James Rainey
follow, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
If a poor single woman who came to New York to work in an unstable low-wage job became pregnant out of wedlock, shame, stigma, poverty, lack of childcare options, and the anonymity of city living might lead her to leave her infant on a stoop.
—Time, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stoop
Cite this Entry
“Stoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stoop. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stoop
1 of 3 verb1
a
: to bend down or over
b
: to stand or walk with the head and shoulders or the upper part of the body bent forward
2
: to degrade oneself
stoop to lying
stoop
2 of 3 noun1
: an act of bending the body forward
2
: a forward bend of the back and shoulders that is temporary or by habit
stoop
3 of 3 noun
: a porch, platform, or entrance stairway at a house door
Etymology
Verb
Old English stūpian "to stoop, bend over"
Noun
from Dutch stoep "porch, stoop"
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