1
as in shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily
the seemingly endless parade finally ended, and the drummers and tuba players stumped wearily to their buses
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in challenged
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat
when my grandfather was a kid, he and his friends would stump one another to dive into the local swimming hole
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumped
In an interview, Rabb easily answered the question that had stumped Stanford.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
Streep then did her impersonation of De Niro apparently stumped by a question.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
How many voters have diligently studied candidates and ballot initiatives prior to election day, only to be stumped by a sometimes excruciatingly long list of unfamiliar names of people trying to get or retain jobs as judges?
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The question stumped them, but only to some extent.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Still, managers might be stumped by a request to put on high school hoops or a sailing competition.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The next question, about picadillo, stumped the Oscar nominee.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
But Waddle’s situation, in January 2021, stumped him.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, Pritzker stumped for her with a series of appearances at senior living centers on Chicago's South Side.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
Streep then did her impersonation of De Niro apparently stumped by a question.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
How many voters have diligently studied candidates and ballot initiatives prior to election day, only to be stumped by a sometimes excruciatingly long list of unfamiliar names of people trying to get or retain jobs as judges?
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The question stumped them, but only to some extent.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Still, managers might be stumped by a request to put on high school hoops or a sailing competition.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The next question, about picadillo, stumped the Oscar nominee.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
But Waddle’s situation, in January 2021, stumped him.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, Pritzker stumped for her with a series of appearances at senior living centers on Chicago's South Side.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumped
Verb
-
While many of the brand’s lifestyle models are frequently shuffled in and out of production, the 9060 has held on as a staple of the brand’s lineup nearly four years after its retail debut.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
28 May 2026
-
He then was shuffled between immigration centers in California, Arizona and Louisiana — before landing in Equatorial Guinea almost six months ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The Justice Department then challenged Vermont’s law, with more than 20 state attorneys general intervening.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Gyasi’s case is among the latest to be challenged in a federal court system struggling to keep up with the administration’s aggressive moves to maximize the number of immigrants removed from the US and increase vetting of visitors on nonimmigrant visas.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Soto, wounded, stumbled into the Wingstop seeking help.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In those pages, Fiedler dared to argue that many of America’s boyish and putatively innocent classics are in fact fantasies of interracial, homosexual romance.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
After hearing that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was joining the Guardians ownership group, one Cleveland radio host dared to dream big.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Evidence presented at trial showed Wallace threw the victim to the ground, repeatedly punched and stomped him, and searched his pockets before taking his wallet and other belongings, the DA’s office said.—
Bay City News Service,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
-
The accordionist stomped sideways under the stage lights, sweat running down his temples, looking like Angus Young sans schoolboy shorts.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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