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lumber 1 of 2

noun

Definition of lumbernext
as in wood
tree logs as prepared for human use a huge amount of lumber will be needed to build the house

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lumber

2 of 2

verb

ˈləm-bər How to pronounce lumber (audio)
1
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily the elephant lumbered through the jungle

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to rumble
to make a low heavy rolling sound the horse-drawn wagon lumbered along the trail

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4
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lumber
Noun
New tariffs on lumber are expected to slow the rate of new home construction and make buying a home more expensive. — Jack Springgate, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 That’s because Maine’s goods — including lumber, blueberries, lobster, and potatoes — are often processed on the other side of the border. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
The big upgrade here is that ER 2 can process live video feeds from the robot’s cameras, allowing the system to track progress as the robot lumbers from one step to the next. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026 Next door, the slab and lumber for a second house to be completed in the fall was already on site. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lumber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumber
  1. wood
  2. shuffle
  3. stumble
  4. rumble
  5. load
  6. timber
  7. stomp
  8. struggle
Noun
  • Floor-to-ceiling glass walls let a lot of light into the space, which is decorated in tones of gray, with dark wood herring bone floors in the bar.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In 1966, an ambitious young businessman from Finland, Pekka Koskenkylä, decided to build yachts not from wood but out of a pioneering new material called fiberglass.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of wood
Verb
  • The space suddenly swells with agents, assistants, clients and others shuffling through for lunch.
    — Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Others, for certain, are incubated by gridiron versions of cheer moms, who shuffle their sons around in search of stardom.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • But since then, Nosková has solidified while Sabalenka has stumbled, and the Czech has also gotten through some tough matches to reach this one.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Byron Nelson stumbles again Normally an area power, Trophy Club Byron Nelson is off to a rocky start.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Jets from nearby LaGuardia Airport roared overhead and trains rumbled alongside the grounds.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Trains rumble behind the main stadiums, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, while planes approaching and departing from La Guardia Airport bring their stomach-churning roars.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of rumble
Verb
  • Once lake levels are no longer safe for the largest ships to pass, the Panama Canal Authority, the agency in charge of the canal, begins to restrict their maximum draft, meaning how deep into the water the ships sink when loaded.
    — Steven Paton, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The company detected the problem when the new hire’s workstation began loading malware.
    — Michael Engle, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of load
Noun
  • The soaring A-frame bar is the architectural showpiece, its timber ceiling echoing the jagged silhouette of the Brenta Dolomites beyond.
    — Vicki Power, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The look is crisp, angular, and metallic, with lots of straight lines and slender silhouettes, and sits in pleasing contrast alongside luscious velvet and scratchy linen, rough stone, warm terracotta, or grainy timber.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of timber
Verb
  • The Bulldogs visit Arkansas, which just got stomped by Utah, to open SEC play Saturday.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The clip then pans to a warm fire, and someone, presumably Meghan, stomping in rain boots in the mud.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • Underwood, then a true freshman, struggled in that meeting, and his inconsistent play against Western Michigan (12-of-22 passing) has led to questions about his job status.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Despite being one of Africa’s largest oil producers, the Dangote Refinery initially struggled to secure enough domestic crude and had to turn to international suppliers at a premium.
    — Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggle

Browse Nearby Words

lulus
lumber
lumbered
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Cite this Entry

“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumber. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lumber

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lumber

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