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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Recent Examples of stumped
The unit earned two turnovers, stumped the Seahawks on their only attempt on fourth down and only allowed 289 total yards.
—
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
His winning streak came to an end during game five on July 8, when the final Jeopardy question about the Kennedy Center stumped all three contestants.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Now Takaichi, who took office after winning an election in October, is inheriting a decades-old problem that stumped her predecessors – and hoping to be the one to solve it.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
For years local and federal investigators were stumped by who had sent the letters and were unable to prevent the onslaught of threats for more than a decade.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson stumped for Neimeyer in 2024, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has put the district on its list of 26 seats to target in 2026.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Thinking it over, the thing that stumped me was, what would 1/6 of a buck look like roaming through the woods?
—Chester Chatfield, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2025
The debate has stumped some lawmakers, unsure about antifa’s physical framework, while spurring others to want to unmask these militants engaged in high-level, and sometimes large-scale, coordinated efforts.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
His winning streak came to an end during game five on July 8, when the final Jeopardy question about the Kennedy Center stumped all three contestants.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Now Takaichi, who took office after winning an election in October, is inheriting a decades-old problem that stumped her predecessors – and hoping to be the one to solve it.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
For years local and federal investigators were stumped by who had sent the letters and were unable to prevent the onslaught of threats for more than a decade.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
House Speaker Mike Johnson stumped for Neimeyer in 2024, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has put the district on its list of 26 seats to target in 2026.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
Thinking it over, the thing that stumped me was, what would 1/6 of a buck look like roaming through the woods?
—Chester Chatfield, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2025
The debate has stumped some lawmakers, unsure about antifa’s physical framework, while spurring others to want to unmask these militants engaged in high-level, and sometimes large-scale, coordinated efforts.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumped
Verb
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Lock mode proved invaluable on loose climbs, Hill Descent took the stress out of steep drop-offs, and Auto seamlessly shuffled between two- and four-wheel drive as conditions changed.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
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Key Background The ranks of the world’s wealthiest people have shuffled in recent months.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Last year, the IRS proposed settling a lawsuit brought by the National Religious Broadcasters, an evangelical Christian media group, and two Texas churches that challenged a ban on most nonprofits from endorsing political candidates in elections.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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The controversy comes after competitors of CMDSS challenged the initial decision by the Marshals Service to award the contract, claiming the firm lacked appropriate credentials from the SEC and that its employment of a former staffer from the agency created a conflict of interest.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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New York — A nervous mood swept through markets Tuesday as stocks stumbled and bitcoin hit its lowest level since November 2024.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
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The Predators again stumbled out of the gates this season before finding their footing to get back in the playoff race.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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A couple of decades’ worth of pressure later, the Supreme Court’s Heller decision affirmed a much broader right to gun ownership than the previous generation’s NRA would have dared thought achievable.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Feb. 2026
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The start of the downfall of the Daniel arap Moi dictatorship belongs, among others, to a small group of courageous Kenyan lawyers who at great risk dared to challenge these government abuses in court.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Making matters worse was that Seahawks defensive lineman Derick Hall stomped down on Dotson’s calf after the play, leading to Shelton shoving him in the chest and, ultimately, a one-game suspension for Hall.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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