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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
The first-team All-Pro loves Lukas Van Ness, on whom the Packers have a decision to make this spring regarding his fifth-year option, but Van Ness’ third season was stunted by a lingering foot injury.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
K. Desbouis, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2026
The Criterion Channel’s new stunts collection arrives as the motion picture academy prepares to add a long-overdue Oscar category honoring stunt work at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028, a reminder of how much of cinema’s power has been built on risk to life and limb.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stunt
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Verb
In fact, all members of the cabbage family can be stunted by clubroot, which is more likely to infect roots in acidic soil.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
The first-team All-Pro loves Lukas Van Ness, on whom the Packers have a decision to make this spring regarding his fifth-year option, but Van Ness’ third season was stunted by a lingering foot injury.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
The exhibition is punctuated by large-scale installations including male mannequins performing spectacular stunts atop moving boxes (58% Poliéster, 2025) and schoolbags dropped on the floor as if teenagers had just left the room (Para baixo MUITO, or Down VERY MUCH, 2025).
—K. Desbouis, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2026
The Criterion Channel’s new stunts collection arrives as the motion picture academy prepares to add a long-overdue Oscar category honoring stunt work at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028, a reminder of how much of cinema’s power has been built on risk to life and limb.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stunt
Cite this Entry
“Stunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stunt. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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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