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
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
Fears of sickness, of strange lumps and unexplained bleeding.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 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 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
Fears of sickness, of strange lumps and unexplained bleeding.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 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
-
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
-
Directions For peach syrup, in a small saucepan combine peach chunks and 1 cup water.—
Emily Teel,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 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
-
The drugs may also dial down the inflammation that can drive cancer development—and might even act directly on tumors.—
Lori Youmshajekian,
Scientific American,
8 June 2026
-
However, the majority of pancreatic cancers occur when genetic mutations trigger uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas, eventually forming tumors.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 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
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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
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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
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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
-
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
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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 14 Jun. 2026.
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