tumbleweed
noun
tum·ble·weed
ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd 
: a plant (such as Russian thistle or any of several amaranths) that breaks away from its roots in the autumn and is driven about by the wind as a light rolling mass
Examples of tumbleweed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Does one just neglect the laundry, fur ball tumbleweeds from my winter-coat-shedding pup, and the cloudy glass shower door?
—
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
McCarthy moved to his current studio in 2012, and around then, bought land out in the Tehachapi Mountains to serve as Wild West backdrops, not unlike the early film studios buying up tumbleweed stables in Topanga to serve as facsimiles of one-horse towns to shoot westerns.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Another placed more tumbleweed in the path of the dozens of extras milling about.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
In the wind its movements could look somewhat animated, so that the tumbleweed appeared to be a breathing body.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumbleweed
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Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
McCarthy moved to his current studio in 2012, and around then, bought land out in the Tehachapi Mountains to serve as Wild West backdrops, not unlike the early film studios buying up tumbleweed stables in Topanga to serve as facsimiles of one-horse towns to shoot westerns.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
Another placed more tumbleweed in the path of the dozens of extras milling about.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
In the wind its movements could look somewhat animated, so that the tumbleweed appeared to be a breathing body.
—Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumbleweed
Cite this Entry
“Tumbleweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumbleweed. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tumbleweed
noun
tum·ble·weed
ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd
: a plant that breaks away from its roots in autumn and is blown about by the wind
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