1
as in shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbled
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 loaded
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumbered
Robinson said he was also cut off from food stamps in November as the longest government shutdown in history lumbered on.
—
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The raccoon took the hint, shimmied down the rope and lumbered onto a ladder before making a less-than-graceful landing on the porch below.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The raccoon took the hint, shimmied down the rope and lumbered onto a ladder before making a less-than-graceful landing on the porch below.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbered
Verb
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Lock mode proved invaluable on loose climbs, Hill Descent took the stress out of steep drop-offs, and Auto seamlessly shuffled between two- and four-wheel drive as conditions changed.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
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Key Background The ranks of the world’s wealthiest people have shuffled in recent months.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some customers have stumbled upon the bubble waffle shop while scrolling on their phones.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Even some of the most sophisticated left-leaning groups have stumbled.—
Charles Duhigg,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the final minute, Lakers fans rumbled the arena with a collective chant calling for Bronny James to enter the game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Plows rumbled along the streets to clear snow and spread salt throughout the morning.—
Bailey Allen,
The Providence Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nine days after Butler’s injury, Curry finished his postgame workouts following a win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, loaded a takeout plate of food to eat on the Warriors’ bus and prepared for the flight home from an emotionally draining four-game road trip.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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The five of them pushed the furniture out of the living room, loaded in their gear, and settled in for a week of living together while Walla recorded their songs to tape.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Making matters worse was that Seahawks defensive lineman Derick Hall stomped down on Dotson’s calf after the play, leading to Shelton shoving him in the chest and, ultimately, a one-game suspension for Hall.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So far, though, the Swedish striker has struggled to consistently reach the level expected of him with Gabriel Jesus too injury-prone to be counted on over the course of a full season.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Multiple royal watchers have claimed the prince has struggled to move beyond the fallout of his dramatic exit from royal life six years ago, citing professional setbacks and lingering personal tensions.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Come on, the gunman growled, turning and walking and beckoning with the pistol for Adi to follow.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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High interest rates, meanwhile, have saddled credit card borrowers, while subprime loans have surged and a record number of Americans have fallen behind on auto payments.—
Trevor Bach,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 2026
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That saddled the combined company with an untenable $50 billion in debt even as cable networks cratered and viewers flocked to streaming.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumbered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbered. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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