1
as in shambling
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in plodding
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumbering
AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Verb
The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.
—AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbering
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
-
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
-
What truly hampers Regretting You is its inescapable unoriginality, its plodding, uninventive, unthoughtful attempts at swoon and heartbreak.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
So, if the Phillies were to target Bichette, there would be some sort of shuffling in the infield.—
Patrick McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to illegally shuffling money from his state Senate campaign account to his federal congressional campaign account.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Seven years of stumbling around.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The boats hit the Gulf of Mexico before dawn, engines rumbling out diesel smoke while dead-eyed gulls clear their throats and wait to feast on the fishermen’s leftovers.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Thousands stomped in the bleachers, creating rumbling waves of adoration.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Republican's order directs state agencies to work with the federal contractor responsible for loading Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are distributed weekly, his office said.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Southern and central Ohio generally see less lake-effect snow, but cold snaps from a wobbly polar vortex can still bring notable snow events — especially when storms track nearby.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Californians aren’t rushing to buy either homes or new vehicles – a sign of skittish consumers in a wobbly economy.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Director Michael Arden, meanwhile, is up to his elbows just moving the cumbersome Legos of Dane Laffrey’s set around.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The government has relaxed its once-cumbersome visa process and invested heavily in airport and road upgrades to make the country’s immense, underexplored landscapes more accessible.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbering. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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