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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
-
Even from space, the chunks of ice falling from the glacier can be seen floating away.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
11 June 2026
-
And here in California, the iconic pier in Pacifica was shut down last week after cracks were discovered and concrete chunks were falling into the ocean.—
Rosanna Xia,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
This microscopic roundworm lays its eggs in root tissues, causing swellings or galls to develop on infected roots.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Saturday morning, hundreds of families, friends, healthcare providers and survivors gathered at the San Francisco Zoo to raise awareness and funds for brain tumors and the Northern California Brain Tumor community.—
Brian Hackney,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
Not long after, her father was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer with recurring tumors that eat away at bone marrow, damaging bones and the immune system.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Sinner is now responsible for two of those four defeats, both at Wimbledon.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
In ‘24, Hoover and the offense were a mess through the first six games, which included a rash of turnovers and ugly home defeats to Houston and Central Florida.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
Can't believe that after 10 years of us basing our most damning investigations on cell phone data, these idiots are still doing it.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
-
That's the deterrent for the idiots.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Payouts for the runner-up and semifinal losers have also declined relative to the overall purse in the past decade, while the pool for the qualifying draws has nearly doubled over that span.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
-
The index is sharply lower on the session, with Samsung one of the biggest losers.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The contract shows cities are responsible for key costs – including operations, transportation and security – while FIFA collects revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships, broadcast rights and merchandise.—
Brian New,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
The district regularly collects and tests dead birds throughout the county as part of its West Nile virus surveillance program.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
As the group shuffles toward catastrophe, Verbinski intercuts their mission with flashbacks to their civilian lives.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 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 17 Jun. 2026.
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