as in lumbering
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as in shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
disconsolate and exhausted after losing the match, the wrestler shambled toward the locker room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shambling
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
Once the beyond-the-grave comeuppance arrives, this short is just standard shambling ghouls and raining blood.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The shambling Cliff and the spiky Didi make for an odd couple.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
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
Once the beyond-the-grave comeuppance arrives, this short is just standard shambling ghouls and raining blood.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The shambling Cliff and the spiky Didi make for an odd couple.
—Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Walking Dead keeps shambling along, now splintered into a bunch of pretty lackluster spinoffs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shambling
Verb
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The Green Bay Packers are doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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One of the early schools to change leagues in the NCAA's conference shuffling era, Boston College left the Big East for the ACC in 2005 but has struggled to find success in its revenue sports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Brewing economic conditions suggest, however, that when Warsh takes office, presumably in May, central bank policymakers could be facing both a wobbly jobs picture and sticky inflation made worse by spiraling energy prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
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Those athletic legs might get a little wobbly.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The man then tripped, stumbling to the ground.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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How Species Actually Get Discovered Now The popular image of species discovery involves an explorer stumbling across a strange creature in an untouched jungle.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The contrast with Durant’s lumpish Johnny makes no sense.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Oct. 2024
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Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars — Alma Pöysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
23 May 2023
Verb
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Expect to see crunching tackles, stomping recovery runs and heroic blocks from a 22-year-old centre-back who will be a leader for his country at their first World Cup.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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So, let’s circle back to the original question on stomping.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In the fall and early winter, there might be 20 creatures lounging there, occasionally galumphing or issuing a burp noise that echoes over the water.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
24 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Usually when the economy is unsteady and the job market is weakening, the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates to give things a boost.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Lusti and Morrison made their first attempt in 2023 alongside big-mountain skier Tanner McNutt, but avalanches and unsteady snowpack turned the trio back from the summit.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shambling. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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