stumped

past tense of stump
1
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stumped In the last few weeks, a few key figures trusted by the president have stumped for such an incentive. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 The president stumped for Mazzei during a telephone rally the day before the election. Alex Gladden, Oklahoman, 25 Aug. 2026 Trump had stumped for Fry in his first House campaign in 2022, when the state lawmaker ousted a five-term GOP congressman who had voted to impeach Trump a year earlier. ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Payton has stumped for Shanahan to be in the Hall of Fame and said there’s frustration with the difficulty of getting coaches enshrined the past couple of years. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2026 Abbott has stumped on the promise of property tax relief and empowering taxpayers. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026 The story opens in the 1960s, during a long communication gap, as a group of MIT graduate students sets out to solve a proof that stumped the greatest minds of the previous generation (including Albert Einstein). Alexandra Oliva, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 Tatis’ power outage at age 27 has stumped the baseball world. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026 In an interview, Rabb easily answered the question that had stumped Stanford. David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumped
Verb
  • In any case, Babcock is now tasked with rejuvenating a team that took a massive step backward last season and only shuffled a few pieces during the offseason.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studios either shuffled their product directly to streaming or waited a mere 17 days for their films to become available to buy or rent at home.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There are legitimate circumstances in which content may be corrected, challenged or removed.
    Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This data challenged a familiar story about rising inequality.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Portage stumbled into its flock of Flocks after then-Sheriff Dave Reynolds contracted with the company to put them in the city.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For all of the anticipation of an explosive new offensive attack sparked by the arrival of new coordinator Mike McDaniel, the Chargers stumbled and fumbled their way through their season debut.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Nike made left-wing politics part of its identity and repeatedly dared customers to object.
    Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Mehmet Eser | Anadolu | Getty Images Markets are set to find out Wednesday just how aggressive the Treasury Department's bond-buying program will get, as Secretary Scott Bessent dared currency traders to challenge him.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Bulldogs visit Arkansas, which just got stomped by Utah, to open SEC play Saturday.
    Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Even when stomped into the mud by a 17,500-pound apex predator, dinosaur footprints rarely last long enough to fossilize over millions of years.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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