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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumped
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
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
-
In September, Spotify added the ability to free users search for and play specific songs, rather than being forced to head directly to shuffled playlists or albums, though users were limited to one song at a time before the app started to shuffle.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Royals shuffled their hitting department after the 2025 season concluded.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But a couple of decades later, the rise of big-box retailers that boasted lower prices, like Walmart and Target, challenged that supremacy.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
His bold approach has challenged both fans and music executives to see artists through a new lens.—
Evan Burke,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Avs stumbled out of the starting blocks the past two seasons.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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Three years ago, two Sudanese men stumbled into a police station in the desert town of Tazirbu.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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No one dared ask if Cheney had severed contacts with his former business colleagues.—
Nina Khrushcheva,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
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Some younger viewers may have been initially puzzled by the mashup, but fans of a certain age, or of a certain show-tune leaning, got it from the very first bar, or might have even dared to anticipate it when Erivo and Grande sat down on stools, side by side.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As the latter stomped down the catwalk, Anok gave Gabbriette a makeshift haircut.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
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At Stella McCartney, a pair of slouchy patent leather square-toe boots stomped down the catwalk.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumped. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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