Synonyms of stumping

stumping

verb

present participle of stump

1

as in shuffling

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

• shuffling
• stumbling
• stomping
• barging
• hauling
• weaving
• stamping
• lurching
• floundering
• trudging
• sloughing
• dragging
• pounding
• lumping
• tramping
• clumping
• shambling
• scuffling
• scuffing
• slogging
• plodding
• lumbering
• galumphing
• staggering
• flogging
• swaying
• flopping
• reeling
• tromping
• blundering
• tottering
• waddling
• wobbling
• careening
• teetering
• doddering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sliding
• coasting
• gliding
• whisking
• floating
• hanging
• waltzing
• hovering
• drifting
• breezing
• wafting
• poising

2

as in daring

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

• daring
• challenging
• confronting
• defying
• braving
• breasting
• facing
• bearding
• brazening
• outbraving
• outfacing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stumping

Many of those appearances involve stumping for other Democrats or against Proposition 39, a measure that would require California voters to show ID at the polls. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Johnson was in Detroit for a show in late 2024, not far from where Kamala Harris was stumping for her presidential run. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026

Kennedy is stumping for Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn on Wednesday. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Vance, who is likely to run for president in 2028, has also been leaning into his sports fandom ahead of the midterm elections while stumping for Husted in his home state. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026

On Wednesday, the Republican House speaker acknowledged his party’s hurdles while stumping for congressional candidate Kevin Lincoln in Stockton in the Central Valley. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Others asked why a Missouri politician was stumping in Kansas. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026

Australia’s 2024 stinky ‘black balls’ incident This isn’t the first time mysterious balls were found on Australian beaches, stumping experts and locals alike. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Frenzel has been stumping in favor of data center buildup and in April said that if done correctly, such centers could help bring down the cost of electricity for its customers. — Steve Gelsi, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026