stunt

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈstənt 

stunted; stunting; stunts

transitive verb

: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of

stuntedness noun

stunt

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

: one (such as an animal) that is stunted

2

: a check in growth

3

: a disease of plants (such as corn) in which dwarfing occurs

stunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: an unusual or difficult feat requiring great skill or daring

especially : one performed or undertaken chiefly to gain attention or publicity

2

: a shifting or switching of the positions by defensive players at the line of scrimmage in football to disrupt the opponent's blocking efforts

stunt

4 of 4

verb (2)

stunted; stunting; stunts

intransitive verb

: to perform or engage in a stunt

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• dwarf
• suppress

Noun (2)

• deed
• exploit
• feat
• number
• tour de force
• trick

Examples of stunt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The show, which premieres on Peacock Friday, starts with a bang — actually, a lot of them — thanks to stunt coordinator Larnell Stovall. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023

Throw in staples like Sunday Night Football and Dateline, and that’s pretty much it: No stunts, no gimmicks, no oddball new reality or gameshow concepts filling time. —Vulture, 21 Sep. 2023

The staircase shootout in episode one is very much a handheld sequence, and that allows the stunt team to adjust things on the fly if an actor makes a mistake. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2023

Add this to the list of things the singer’s fans have crashed. Politics in Brief Impeachment inquiry: The White House slammed the timing of the House Oversight Committee’s first Biden impeachment hearing, accusing the GOP of using the probe as a stunt while a potential government shutdown nears. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023

In Los Angeles, leaders have walked a fine line between welcoming the few families who have arrived on the Texas buses and condemning Abbott’s moves as a cruel political stunt. —Miriam Jordan, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023

Despite the playful stunt, McConaughey and Behar got into more serious topics elsewhere during his appearance on the talk show. —Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023

Spectators, participants and bystanders have been hurt or killed by drivers performing stunts. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023

Democrats, who slammed the impeachment inquiry as a political stunt, described the Republican conference as a three-ring circus. —Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Amy B Wang, Jacqueline Alemany, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023

Verb

Even before the floods, poor nutrition had stunted the growth of 40 percent of the children under 5 in Pakistan. —Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023

After long days of pickets, actors, showrunners, stunt people and others are letting out their frustrations against Hollywood on the field. —Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023

The fund’s return was stunted, however, by a 4.6% loss on unlisted real estate investments and a 6.5% loss on unlisted renewable energy investments. —Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2023

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live will come to Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Rose Quarter on Saturday, August 12 at 12:30 p.m., bringing all the most exciting Hot Wheels jumps, tricks, and stunts to life this weekend. —oregonlive, 8 Aug. 2023

The three coolest trio of chefs in town, Ghetto Gastro, came to stunt at the Farfetch event in some slick looks. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 25 Aug. 2023

One critical threat is warmer waters, which stunt the growth of oysters and other aquatic organisms as oxygen levels decline. —Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023

Between her movies, stunting music career, and iconic relationship with Ben Affleck, who doesn't want to be like J.Lo? —Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 16 Aug. 2023

Fajr had a rare chromosome disorder called Emanuel syndrome, which is characterized as a developmental and learning disability that stunts growth and development, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. —Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

English dialect stunt stubborn, stunted, abrupt, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse stuttr scant — more at stint entry 1

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1583, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1725, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1917, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stunt

• pull a stunt
• stunt double
• publicity stunt

• pull a stunt
• stunt double
• publicity stunt

Kids Definition

stunt

1 of 3 verb

ˈstənt 

: to hold back the normal growth, development, or progress of

stunt

2 of 3 noun

: an unusual or difficult feat performed or attempted usually to gain attention or publicity

stunt

3 of 3 verb

: to perform stunts

Etymology

Verb

from a dialect word stunt "stubborn, abrupt, stunted," probably of Scandinavian origin

Noun

origin unknown

Medical Definition

stunt

transitive verb

ˈstənt 

: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of

an emotionally stunted child