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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of stumped
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
As the campaign took shape, Crockett stumped in urban areas, trying to awaken and broaden the base; more than a million Texas Democrats who voted in 2020 stayed home in 2024.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS 'CIVICS LESSON’ — Republican shocked after anti-ICE sheriff stumped by basic government question.
—FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The divisions have stumped some of the individuals who have been trying to mediate the crisis and who can’t understand why given the problems facing Haiti, where gangs are running rampant, the country’s politicians are unable to set aside their differences.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Still, Orlando at times this season has fallen away from its defensive identity, which in turn has stumped its offensive output.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
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
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
As the campaign took shape, Crockett stumped in urban areas, trying to awaken and broaden the base; more than a million Texas Democrats who voted in 2020 stayed home in 2024.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS 'CIVICS LESSON’ — Republican shocked after anti-ICE sheriff stumped by basic government question.
—FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
The divisions have stumped some of the individuals who have been trying to mediate the crisis and who can’t understand why given the problems facing Haiti, where gangs are running rampant, the country’s politicians are unable to set aside their differences.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Still, Orlando at times this season has fallen away from its defensive identity, which in turn has stumped its offensive output.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumped
Verb
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As children from the synagogue were shuffled to safety, nearby West Bloomfield Schools were under a shelter-in-place order from police.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Samson Fellows shuffled in his slippers to a small space heater and flicked it on.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In District 2, incumbent Rocío Rivas is being challenged by Raquel Zamora, an LAUSD teacher and attendance counselor.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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This challenged the moral argument on which the legitimacy of the drug war rested.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Florida stumbled so badly that the Gators fired coach Billy Napier.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
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And yet Minnesota somehow stumbled into someone who could be much better than that – for effectively none of the cost.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Wednesday, a Thai cargo ship that dared to cross the strait was struck by a projectile .—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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In recent years, stars have dared to bare a little more skin on the Oscars red carpet.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Frustration boiled over on the Huskies’ sideline as Hurley stomped his foot and earned a technical foul from referee James Breeding with 12 and a half minutes left in the half.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
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In the span of six days, the Cornhuskers beat rival Creighton at home and stomped Wisconsin and then went to Illinois for their first Big Ten road game.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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