1
as in chunks
a small uneven mass
she dumped a lump of clay on the table and started to sculpt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in swellings
a small rounded mass of swollen tissue
I got a good-sized lump on my head from that fall
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3
as in tumors
an abnormal mass of tissue
advised by her doctor to examine her breasts regularly for unusual lumps
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4
as in defeats
failure to win a contest
you can't win all the time, so learn to take your lumps in stride
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in idiots
a stupid person
gazed disgustedly at the lump her daughter had married
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6
as in hulks
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
standing next to those ballet dancers, with their graceful way of moving, I felt like a lump
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collects
to bring together in one body or place
when we lumped all of our pocket change together, we found that we had just enough a buy a carton of ice cream
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2
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily
while I was on crutches, I was lumping about the house like an elephant
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lumps
Doha Madani, NBC news, 10 June 2026
The question becomes whether the Blues want to bring in a reinforcement now or let their recent high draft picks take their lumps.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 26 May 2026
This fermentation process separates the milk into curds (the thicker lumps of cheese) and whey (the liquid portion).
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 24 May 2026
Adding the grits to the pot slowly while stirring is key to the dish's creaminess and no lumps.
—Emma Ashe, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
The Huskies, after winning the Big East championship and playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years, took some losses in the transfer portal and took their lumps in the early season southern and western swings, losing 10 of their first 12 games.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Other recommendations from the report include allocating more funds for speed lumps and the quick-build program, as well as hiring staff to coordinate a citywide Safe Routes to School program, and exploring a citywide ban on right turns on red lights.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But the lumps weren’t caused by poor hygiene or weight.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Type 1 looks like hard lumps or small pebbles, and suggests constipation.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 31 May 2026
Most lumps such as these are noncancerous lipomas, or fatty tumors, and a decision on whether to remove them is based on whether the lumps interfere with movements or threaten other issues.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Breaking it down Artificial intelligence is an umbrella-term for several different technologies, from autonomous vehicles to chatbots—and the database lumps these together without a comprehensive structure.
—Harry Booth, Time, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
The American Breast Cancer Foundation urged men to be aware of any changes in their chest area, including nipple pain, lumps and swelling in the breast or underarm.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 10 June 2026
The question becomes whether the Blues want to bring in a reinforcement now or let their recent high draft picks take their lumps.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 26 May 2026
This fermentation process separates the milk into curds (the thicker lumps of cheese) and whey (the liquid portion).
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 24 May 2026
Adding the grits to the pot slowly while stirring is key to the dish's creaminess and no lumps.
—Emma Ashe, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
The Huskies, after winning the Big East championship and playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years, took some losses in the transfer portal and took their lumps in the early season southern and western swings, losing 10 of their first 12 games.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2026
Other recommendations from the report include allocating more funds for speed lumps and the quick-build program, as well as hiring staff to coordinate a citywide Safe Routes to School program, and exploring a citywide ban on right turns on red lights.
—Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
But the lumps weren’t caused by poor hygiene or weight.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Type 1 looks like hard lumps or small pebbles, and suggests constipation.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Critics also say Horvath lumps together different types of ed tech and doesn’t grapple with research that supports moderate use of computers in school.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 31 May 2026
Most lumps such as these are noncancerous lipomas, or fatty tumors, and a decision on whether to remove them is based on whether the lumps interfere with movements or threaten other issues.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Breaking it down Artificial intelligence is an umbrella-term for several different technologies, from autonomous vehicles to chatbots—and the database lumps these together without a comprehensive structure.
—Harry Booth, Time, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lumps
Noun
-
Like your raw seafood in chunks?—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
-
The Israeli military took over large portions of Gaza as part of a broad invasion, and later seized control of chunks of Lebanon and Syria.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Infection is rapid, causing swellings in the lymph nodes (buboes) and leading to septicaemia and pulmonary infection.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Except for the gliomas, the other nine tumors are all considered benign.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
-
The goal of the bill, which has bipartisan support, is to increase research funding and foster collaboration in the quest to defeat brain tumors.—
Brian Hackney,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
France ended the Seleção’s campaign in the 2006 quarterfinals, the Netherlands did so in 2010, Germany inflicted one of the most infamous defeats in the sport’s history in 2014 – a 7-1 drubbing that had fans crying in the stands – and quarterfinal exits followed again in 2018 and 2022.—
Emile Nuh,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Beginning at Italia ’90, when Team USA was unceremoniously dumped out of its first World Cup with three consecutive defeats, this slice of stars-and-stripes nostalgia then charts the buildup to its first time as host.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
This is different from the pastime counterfactuals enjoyed after the fact by barfly drunks and social media idiots.—
Kyle Wagner,
New York Daily News,
3 June 2026
-
Kids, let’s face it, are idiots by nature, and that’s not their fault.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The history of warfare is often measured in winners, losers, troop sizes, dollars and human casualties; but collateral damage across the animal kingdom far outlasts the final shot.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Host Mary Louise Kelly gathers three NPR correspondents who are covering the region – Greg Myre in Tel Aviv, Jane Arraf in Beirut and Aya Batrawy in Cairo – to understand what's next and who has emerged as the winners and losers.—
June 18,
NPR,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Aaru, a two-year-old AI startup, simulated all of those voters—agents built from the kind of data the company collects, like credit card purchasing history, food-delivery orders, and demographic records—and tried to predict how the votes would be cast.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
The Institute of Education Sciences evaluates and collects statistics, and the National Center for Education Statistics administers the Nation’s Report Card and other federal tests.—
Alia Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumps. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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