1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stumbling
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 loading
to place a weight or burden on
preparations that will lumber the expedition with unnecessary equipment and supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in shambling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in plodding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumbering
Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Almost every song is a lumbering beast so thoroughly composed of bits and pieces from the very best of the entire British popular music tradition as to make each feel inevitable, and the intensity doesn’t let up much until the final track.
—Jesse Adams, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Gyms and exercise equipment companies don’t promote their locations and equipment with flabby, lumbering people, rather their ads show fit, upright, energetic individuals.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Some were fresh out of flight school, others flew lumbering flying boats or were ferry pilots for large bombers.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
In an era where teams are going all-in on big lumbering defenders, Montreal took a bet on a 5-foot-9, 160-pound defender.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The area’s greatest economic driver after the end of the lumbering trade in the early 20th century has been and continues to be iron ore mining.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Snow White is, for better and (mostly) worse, a product of a corporation that has for years been lumbering after its idea of the Zeitgeist with all the agility of an aging colossus.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
During the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong came to believe that the revolution was losing momentum because of the country’s lumbering bureaucracy.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The two heroes fight what appears to be a Rancor-like lizard monster in Rotta the Hutt’s arena and bring down a lumbering AT-AT, which slowly falls down a mountainside in epic fashion.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Almost every song is a lumbering beast so thoroughly composed of bits and pieces from the very best of the entire British popular music tradition as to make each feel inevitable, and the intensity doesn’t let up much until the final track.
—Jesse Adams, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Gyms and exercise equipment companies don’t promote their locations and equipment with flabby, lumbering people, rather their ads show fit, upright, energetic individuals.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Some were fresh out of flight school, others flew lumbering flying boats or were ferry pilots for large bombers.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
In an era where teams are going all-in on big lumbering defenders, Montreal took a bet on a 5-foot-9, 160-pound defender.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
The area’s greatest economic driver after the end of the lumbering trade in the early 20th century has been and continues to be iron ore mining.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Snow White is, for better and (mostly) worse, a product of a corporation that has for years been lumbering after its idea of the Zeitgeist with all the agility of an aging colossus.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
During the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong came to believe that the revolution was losing momentum because of the country’s lumbering bureaucracy.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbering
Verb
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The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Card-reading contact lenses, X-ray poker tables, trays of poker chips that read cards, hacked shuffling machines that predict hands.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After stumbling into a massive camp full of refugees from Nilfgaard’s ongoing campaign, Geralt winds up witness to a witch trial.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CWD can take months to years for symptoms to appear, which could include drastic weight loss, stumbling or lack of coordination, drooling and listlessness.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thousands stomped in the bleachers, creating rumbling waves of adoration.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
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Apple’s promotional video for the iPhone 17 Pro is super loud and rumbling the floor.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another video shared the same day showed multiple men in tactical vests loading into a vehicle with a similar Mexican flag splayed across the hood.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
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Cupshe Eyelet Long-sleeve Crochet Blouse The best way to sidestep wrinkles (in my opinion) is by loading up my suitcase with patterns and textures—much like this crocheted blouse with floral detailing from Amazon.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
These movies—including the seven-hour-long Sátántangó, a centerpiece of which is a shambling dance in a barroom—often swap the meandering sentence for a single camera shot that lasts 10 minutes or more.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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Once the beyond-the-grave comeuppance arrives, this short is just standard shambling ghouls and raining blood.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What truly hampers Regretting You is its inescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
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Occasionally, as in the obscurity of Legion’s later episodes or the plodding pace of some Fargo plots, this approach can verge on self-indulgence.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The sound of her stomping up the staircase causes her parents to share a look of weary consternation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Connery was no stranger to struggling to find work.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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That’s a strong selling point at a time when many organizations are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill security roles.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbering. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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