tumbleweed

noun

tum·​ble·​weed ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd How to pronounce tumbleweed (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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, 1 Oct. 2025 Wind speeds on Mars are high enough to blow fleets of large spherical rovers that resemble tumbleweed across the Red Planet's surface, according to new wind-tunnel tests of small prototypes conducted by an international consortium of young scientists. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025 My savings were dwindling, and there were tumbleweeds blowing through my business savings account. Essence, 23 Sep. 2025 The closest city, El Paso, is a three-hour drive away through the Texas high plains and desert—the region known as Big Bend country—and a ride so deserted that tumbleweeds may block the road. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tumbleweed

Word History

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tumbleweed was in 1858

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Cite this Entry

“Tumbleweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumbleweed. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

tumbleweed

noun
tum·​ble·​weed ˈtəm-bəl-ˌwēd How to pronounce tumbleweed (audio)
: a plant that breaks away from its roots in autumn and is blown about by the wind

More from Merriam-Webster on tumbleweed

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