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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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. 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
Kamas, Utah, a small community of about 2,100 residents at the scenic intersection of the Wasatch Range and Uinta Mountains, has long been shaped by cattle ranching and the lumber industry. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026 Contractors and woodworkers who examined the structure told Thigpen the lumber appears to have been milled on site. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
Trash is strewn everywhere; people addicted to the cheap stimulant basuco, derived from cocaine-production residue, lumber around in varying states of distress. — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 The man in the suit who lumbered around in the background of their lives. — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 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
  • The only heaviness lies within the natural materials found throughout the resort, like grounding lava stone, copper, and indigenous Tzalam wood.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The specialists also restored the painting’s linden wood frame by cutting out over 100 missing fragments from it and covering it with gold leaf.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of wood
Verb
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In the midst of the rush to finish my syllabi and opening week assignments, as my husband shuffled the kids into their sneakers and Crocs and the car for one last back-to-school outing, everything stopped.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Of the seven clubs that had 14 or more players from their organizations appear in the WBC, several stumbled early and only the Phillies and Brewers made the postseason.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Rules are changing Early in the second quarter, Wilson rumbled into the lane and attempted to use his off arm to create a few inches of space before laying the ball across the rim.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Pardo watched as another adult elephant, likely Matisse’s sister, rumbled from a distance before the family came together, uniting with another series of rumbles, as if saying hello.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rumble
Verb
  • Drones can be seen near the scene of the strike as responders load the injured onto stretchers and into emergency vehicles.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Florida’s defense, which allowed 211 yards on the ground to Missouri’s backup running back last week, will need to find a new spine (and a better way to load the box).
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of load
Noun
  • The neighborhood/area A mile and a half away lies the pretty village of Lyndhurst, with its tourist-coaxing fudge shops and pubs, and a Ferrari dealer plonked incongruously among the red brick and timber quaintness.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • It should be made from natural, heavy and durable materials -- much like the wood used by Goh -- and, when affordable, from the finest timber.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of timber
Verb
  • The answer isn’t between stomping the gas pedal or leaving the car parked.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Handclaps, stomping percussion and a communal chorus create the kind of infectious energy that naturally gets people moving.
    — qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • Specifically, Nico Iamaleava struggled, fumbling once and throwing interceptions to Oregon’s Koi Perich and Jerry Mixon.
    — Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Moon, meanwhile, is struggling at school but on the precipice of adulthood; as the young woman begins to make her own decisions in life, Yue must relinquish a degree of maternal responsibility.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle

Browse Nearby Words

lulus
lumber
lumbered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumber. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lumber

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lumber

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All