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
CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Sarcoidosis produces lumps or nodules in the lungs.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 2026
The Chargers have taken their lumps in the first year of the move to Division I, but coaches Ted Hotaling and Debbie Buff have shown quite a bit of resourcefulness.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Learning how to tell if a cheesecake is properly baked or how to mix the batter free of lumps, are lifetime skills that will prove useful in the future.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
At least 25% of ballot recipients must vote, and two-thirds of those votes must support the lumps.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 21 Dec. 2025
The variety of body types and shapes shown here, often covered in very little, is a reminder that despite the smoothness of the people held up as worthy of admiration on Instagram, most people’s bodies and faces have lumps and bumps and creases and crinkles.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
Vigorously stir in the flour, making sure no lumps form.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Harry Booth, Time, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, breaking up any lumps.
—CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
Sarcoidosis produces lumps or nodules in the lungs.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 2026
The Chargers have taken their lumps in the first year of the move to Division I, but coaches Ted Hotaling and Debbie Buff have shown quite a bit of resourcefulness.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Learning how to tell if a cheesecake is properly baked or how to mix the batter free of lumps, are lifetime skills that will prove useful in the future.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
At least 25% of ballot recipients must vote, and two-thirds of those votes must support the lumps.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 21 Dec. 2025
The variety of body types and shapes shown here, often covered in very little, is a reminder that despite the smoothness of the people held up as worthy of admiration on Instagram, most people’s bodies and faces have lumps and bumps and creases and crinkles.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
Vigorously stir in the flour, making sure no lumps form.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
-
Add ground beef to center; cook, stirring to break up any large chunks, until browned, 6 to 7 minutes.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Council members took aim at three chunks of Ada County along Interstate 84, areas the city is calling South Airport, Third Bench and East Columbia.—
Mark Dee
January 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 Jan. 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 study also found that compared with current light drinkers, former drinkers had 42 percent lower chances of developing noncancerous colorectal tumors, which can go on to become cancerous.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
That’s plausible but difficult to detect without screening people at a very young age, but there could also be difference in the progression of the tumors themselves, Cercek says.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In their last two defeats, the Razorbacks (11-11, 0-7 SEC) hung tight with Georgia and LSU for three quarters.—
Ethan Westerman,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Coming off one of their most lopsided defeats of the season, the Celtics capitalized on an ideal get-right opportunity Friday night.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This happens often enough when one administration succeeds another, to be sure, with the new team insisting that its predecessors were idiots, but the Hegseth Pentagon carries such insults to a new level.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
-
As Venus points out in his confessional, the problem here is Marcus, who keeps making both of them look like idiots.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But Oviedo resident Bill Hyde questioned why SCAC’s executive director Deborah Bauer collects a salary of about $40,000 a year from the county funds.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In recent years, the agency added an electrified dozer trawl designed specifically for carp removal, which stuns fish and collects them as boats move through infested waters.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On its voyage through intergalactic space, that light traverses countless clumps of dark matter.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Gather the clumps of hair and dispose of them before vacuuming any remaining bits.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lumps. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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