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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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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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
Kitch-iti-kipi was used as a lumber dumping site until 1926, when the spring and 90 surrounding acres were sold to the State of Michigan for, rumor has it, only $10. — Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026 The forests also drive tourism, which some researchers argue outweighs their value as lumber. — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 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
  • 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
  • The plane rumbled down the runway, picking up speed towards the roiling sea.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of rumble
Verb
  • Most of the half-hour was spent just waiting for scientific databases to load.
    — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The company also said owners can teach the robot to load a dishwasher and clear a cat litter box.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 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
  • At that time, the company’s Fisher-Price, Barbie and American Girl brands were struggling to connect with changing consumer tastes and Mattel was reeling from the recent bankruptcy of Toys R Us.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But, like many Universities, Drexel has been struggling financially, in part due to declining enrollment.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lumber

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lumber

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