stunted; stunting; stunts
: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of
stuntedness
noun
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
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
Examples of stunt in a Sentence
Verb (1)
unfortunately, an unusually dry summer seems to have permanently stunted the tree
Noun (2)
performs mental stunts, such as pronouncing words backwards as soon as you say them
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
This limits oxygen and water access, stunting plant growth.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
In recent years, much of the new technology used in the stunt realm has come courtesy of visual effects artists, who employ CGI to erase safety wires, composite in dangerous elements like fireballs and, at times, build action sequences almost completely from the whole digital cloth.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stunt
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Verb
Acuff made a three-pointer with 34 seconds left in the first half to push the Razorbacks’ lead to 39-34, but Jaxon Kohler made a putback layup just before halftime to cut the lead to three points and stunt the visitors’ momentum.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
This limits oxygen and water access, stunting plant growth.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
MrBeast, the American YouTuber known for his large-scale challenges and stunts, has launched the Beast Land theme park as part of Riyadh Season 2025 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, with attendees competing for prizes worth over $533,000.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
In recent years, much of the new technology used in the stunt realm has come courtesy of visual effects artists, who employ CGI to erase safety wires, composite in dangerous elements like fireballs and, at times, build action sequences almost completely from the whole digital cloth.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stunt
Cite this Entry
“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stunt
1 of 3 verb
: 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
: to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of
an emotionally stunted child
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