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 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
  • For nearly a year and a half, he was shuffled around detention centers in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and Florida, until arriving in the Alexandria International Airport in mid-August.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Neither team was seriously challenged in Week 1; Ohio State beat Ball State 56-3, and Texas rolled Texas State 59-7.
    Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Many higher-income countries, though challenged by the disruption, have cushioned the blow by tapping strategic reserves or using their financial and political clout to secure emergency supplies.
    Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • While Mayfield is 3-0 in Week 1 since coming to Tampa Bay in 2023, Burrow and the Bengals have often stumbled out of the gate.
    Joe Reedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • On this day in 1940, four teenage boys stumbled upon one of the world’s most significant archaeological finds—through a fox’s den, 50 feet down to an underground passageway, and into a network of caves.
    Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 10, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Everyone’s voice is valued, standards have risen on and off the field, and all matches are monitored and recorded in such a way that Dean would not have dared to try to play the class clown.
    Graham Scott, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hence, nobody dared to approach the horse, and its owner wasn’t found.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • As Flores was still celebrating, Bjornsson — the previous deadlift world-record holder (510kg) — stomped up to him and reached out to grasp his rival, but only to offer a congratulatory hug of genuine warmth and affection.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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