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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of lumber
ABC News, 28 May 2026
The lumber used to build the castle was essentially driftwood from steamboat wrecks that floated down the river and into Gray's hands.
—John Lauritsen, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 May 2026
The giant sulcata tortoise came lumbering down a suburban Phoenix street one recent spring evening.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Noun
Some had hoses trained on piles of smoking debris while others lifted and moved lumber and other burned wreckage as if searching for people underneath.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
The lumber used to build the castle was essentially driftwood from steamboat wrecks that floated down the river and into Gray's hands.
—John Lauritsen, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Verb
Dunk is the lumbering Hedge Knight hero of this series, Ser Duncan the Tall, played by former rugby player Peter Claffey, while Egg is his wise-beyond-his-years bald young squire (Dexter Sol Ansell).
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 28 May 2026
The giant sulcata tortoise came lumbering down a suburban Phoenix street one recent spring evening.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lumber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumber
Noun
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For centuries, Native American tribes lived in the area, growing crops and building earthlodges, a circular home of earth and wood that was the center of family life, housing multiple generations, according to the National Park Service.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Settlements and farmsteads spread across the state, and each year the timbermen marched deeper into the woods.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
After starting at right tackle, Lomu flipped to the left side as Will Campbell’s top backup when the Patriots shuffled their O-line personnel with Maye still on the field.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
The state's unique open primary — in which the top two contenders advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation — was plagued by Democratic in-fighting and scandal that repeatedly shuffled the frontrunners.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
The memorial effort dragged for years as the private onePulse Foundation, originally tasked to create it, stumbled and then collapsed amid excessive ambition that produced a plan for a $100 million memorial and museum the group had no ability to fund.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The structural integrity of section 325 was in question as the roar of the crowd caused the upper reaches of the arena to literally start rumbling.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
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Albertsons Stadium rumbled Saturday night as monster truck madness took over the unrecognizable blue turf with a roaring, fiery, wheelie-popping spectacle.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Pages followed with a single and Keller loaded the bases by hitting Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy with two outs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
-
The only way real barriers to non-factory service could be required to work on a ladder-frame gas-engine truck would be if the automaker intentionally loaded it with proprietary nonsense.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
In 1880, Queen Victoria gave President Hayes a desk made of timbers from the HMS Resolute, which sits in the Oval Office today.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
His Weyerhaeuser Company is still the largest seller of timber in the world.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Guests are invited to partake in the tradition of stomping grapes with their bare feet to get the juice out for creating wine.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
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The emphasis on winning to keep kids signed up and continue making money has stomped creativity out of American players, who are encouraged to play safely to ensure results instead of developing a players’ feel for the game.—
Andy Yamashita,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The Primm family, owners of the land that includes three casino resorts and other businesses along the 15 Freeway, announced Tuesday a partnership intended to save the struggling state-line strip and hundreds of jobs.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Those home-and-away supporters know how much England struggled with the heat during a camp last summer.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumber. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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