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
During the pandemic, supply chain problems sent window and lumber prices soaring. — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Now, after recently receiving their building permit, Vercellino and Mapes are preparing to construct a simple 1,100-square-foot forever home using lumber that is being milled directly on the property, along with logs donated by neighbors. — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
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 Imax cameras are lumbering tools that weigh 300 pounds each and roar like Cuisinart blenders. — Brent Lang, Variety, 21 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
  • One key indicator of soil health is decomposition rates of complex organic matter, breaking down stuff like leaves, wood, even cadavers into simpler organic and inorganic compounds, releasing C02 and nutrients in the process.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Pysher’s father, Glen Pysher, said his son and his friends had visited several bars earlier in the evening and were splitting up to spend the night in two homes when his son took a wrong turn in the woods.
    — Holly Ramer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of wood
Verb
  • Since Brian Schottenheimer lasted six years, from 2006 until 2011, the Jets have shuffled through 10 offensive coordinators (including Reich), and none lasted for more than two seasons.
    — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The line shuffles forward quickly, and my heart knots in my chest as Heartfillers are dosed to each person up ahead.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • The Miami Dolphins stumbled through a lopsided preseason loss to the New York Giants, sustained a key injury and continued sorting through roster questions before the season opener.
    — Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Most injuries occurred as residents were tossed from beds or stumbled in the dark; trains and airport links were briefly disrupted, a Tokyo water main burst, and hundreds lost power.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Ngoy used a slick, fake handoff to rumble into end zone and cap a 26-yard drive.
    — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026
  • San Francisco rumbled to a 41-17 win after scoring just 13 points last week against the Tennessee Titans.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rumble
Verb
  • The crude that Tehran is able to load on tankers probably doesn't make it past the blockade, Smith added.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In the third inning, the Royals left the bases loaded as Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez struck out in a clutch situation.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of load
Noun
  • Stumpage and timber prices capture the value of felled trees.
    — Kari Stoever, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Set back along Summit Drive, the contemporary home is a near 11,900-square-foot marvel of concrete, glass, steel, stone, and timber.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of timber
Verb
  • Their father, Jamie, always seemed to be around, smiling and shouting and stomping his feet.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Achord bounces on his toes like an impatient little kid watching his guys work, stomps his right foot on the ground and vaults his right arm forward to demonstrate how someone should return a kick.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • The Sparks struggled early, missing 12 of their first 16 shots from the field.
    — John W. Davis, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Neda, a 34-year-old Tehran resident struggling with kidney disease and needing medication, is holding her breath as she is once again forced to buy only half of her monthly dose.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lumber

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lumber

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All