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
as in lumbering
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shambling
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
Verb
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
Adjective
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
-
Suddenly, a horde of ragged, bloodied creatures appear, their feet shuffling along the pavement, their hollow eyes locked on fleeing figures ahead.—
Tom Duszynski,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But after some shuffling at the position, Horn finally got his opportunity and immediately impacted the offense with the threat of his speed.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Footage of a father stumbling around, apparently carrying the headless body of his baby?—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Remaining unclaimed playoff spots The final two playoff spots in the Western Conference are up for grabs, with FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake, the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes all stumbling towards the finish line.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
High financing costs, a wobbly economy, flat rents and overbuilding in certain markets nudged many other developers to cancel or delay rental projects.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
-
And yet, Milei’s political future—and the future of his reforms—remains wobbly.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Barner holds his arms parallel to the ground and swings them side to side while slowly stomping forward like Godzilla demolishing a city.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The contrast with Durant’s lumpish Johnny makes no sense.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Oct. 2024
-
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
Adjective
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The shock to Hal and Kate’s equilibrium, already unsteady to begin with, is even more rewarding.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The senator seemed unsteady, but got up and kept walking with the help of his detail.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shambling. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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