1
as in shambling
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in plodding
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the elephant lumbered through the jungle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of lumbering
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
The only real midrange comes from what sounds like inclement weather or the occasional distant, lumbering percussion.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale, Latin name Eubalaena glacialis, is one of three species of the lumbering giants.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Its creators, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, Frankensteined the series by stitching together two moribund TV genres—the mockumentary sitcom and the prank show—to construct something new, if still lumbering.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard.
—Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
The only real midrange comes from what sounds like inclement weather or the occasional distant, lumbering percussion.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
The North Atlantic right whale, Latin name Eubalaena glacialis, is one of three species of the lumbering giants.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
During the announcement, a lumbering Frankenstein’s Monster appeared on the set with Thompson and Mitchell.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
So, the lumbering maw that is our leader is likely to gobble it up.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2026
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s also a massive leg lumbering in the distance which could be a Sentinel, the gigantic, mutant-hunting robots that are some of X-Men’s most iconic villains.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumbering
Adjective
-
One rarely gains a sense of what people look like (beyond the son’s bulky physique and shambling movements, in which the mother ‘caught a flash of her brother’).—
Dan Sheehan,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
His jogging gait is a bit plodding.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His two-time matchup was Alejandro Kirk, an excellent hitter but, at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, a plodding runner.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These chips spend most of their energy shuffling data between a memory unit and a processor.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
So what better way to cap all that off than closing out the Oscars — even if the clip played while the audience was shuffling out of the theater and calling their Ubers.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shopping on Rue La La feels a lot like stumbling across a secret sale, with some of the very best deals on designer goods, including swoon-worthy handbags.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The bubble was the softest in recent memory, with one team after another stumbling late in the season.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Across the Houston area, residents described hearing a low, rumbling sound that many compared to thunder, even though the skies were clear, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Another video shared on Instagram, presumably taken at an earlier point, shows the same bot rumbling along to deliver some food with the same graffiti scribbled on its exterior.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 19,
Futurism,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Earlier, officers were seen loading several people into a vehicle along the same stretch of street.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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On Wednesday, a jury in California determined that Meta and YouTube were responsible for loading their social media platforms with addictive features that harmed the mental health of a minor.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The bench unit was wobbly in the first half, but a trio of solid defensive possessions started the fourth quarter with a bang.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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The wobbly start wasn’t for lack of lead singer Arnel Pineda’s efforts.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But Thune has been slow to embrace the process, in part because it is viewed as so cumbersome.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Certain menu items, though, feel like fan favorites made to wear cumbersome disguises, while entrees outside of the burger don’t always feel as essential as the smaller plates.—
Cesar Hernandez,
San Francisco Chronicle,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumbering. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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