1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
the novel's plot lumbers to its predictable conclusion after 500 long pages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumber
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Duties on autos, pharmaceuticals and lumber would increase to 25% from 15%.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Over the course of his career, Stradivari went from making large, lumbering cellos to creating smaller, more innovative ones that became the blueprint for the modern instrument.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Noun
Lumber The price of lumber has been rising for years, and experts agree it’s not set to slow down in 2026.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
Duties on autos, pharmaceuticals and lumber would increase to 25% from 15%.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Over the course of his career, Stradivari went from making large, lumbering cellos to creating smaller, more innovative ones that became the blueprint for the modern instrument.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumber
Noun
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Charred, thin bubbling crusts come straight from the room’s wood burning oven, and the Funghi, with wild mushrooms, scamorza taleggio, Parmigiano Reggiano and aromatic herbs is a standout.—
Andrea Bennett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
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The cozy 7th Avenue spot features an open kitchen, a long food bar, lots of moody flickering candlelight, and soothing blonde wood, perfect for falling in love—with pizza and whomever might be sitting across from you.—
Andrea Strong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The race for Los Angeles mayor has been in an extraordinary state of flux, with the candidate lineup shuffling and reshuffling in the final days before the filing deadline.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Moore administration has chosen the opposite approach, doubling down on spending while shuffling money around in a game of three-card monte.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hockey players, however, are team sport Winter Olympians who play professionally in leagues looking to capitalize on the millions of global viewers that might stumble onto the sport over the next two weeks.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Dumb luck certainly did favor the bold that night, as Dallas stumbled into Cooper Flagg despite having been a Play-In Tournament team.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The smell of methanol racing fuel and the buzz of anticipation filled Lucas Oil Stadium as a procession of monster trucks rumbled into position for Monster Jam’s two-show weekend on January 31 and February 1.—
Travis LaCoss,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
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The mom of three hears the televisions vibrating through the walls, video games clacking on the XBox, and the constant swirl of doors as her kids rumble through the house.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Before long, it was loaded up with 100 whistles and placed on the front counter.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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And the two front-runners are loading up.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Massive columns, slender spires and impossibly balanced boulders loom above the timber.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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All four European expeditions saw a Rapa Nui of gardens and grassland, with no forest or tall trees; Roggeveen had specifically noted Islanders’ excitement at the sight of timber.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Seattle Seahawks stomped a mud hole in the New England Patriots.—
Prince J. Grimes,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Engineers have struggled to close the reaction gap between human perception and machine processing without sacrificing accuracy.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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De Meo was recruited from the auto industry, and his experience included turning around the struggling automaker Renault at the start of the decade.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumber. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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