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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stumping
There is such a gap between the sides that Phil Mickelson is out here stumping for Mike Krzyzewski and 88-year-old Lou Holtz.
—
Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The caller won a prize by stumping the cast.
—Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The caller won a prize by stumping the cast.
—Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumping
Verb
-
Suddenly, a horde of ragged, bloodied creatures appear, their feet shuffling along the pavement, their hollow eyes locked on fleeing figures ahead.—
Tom Duszynski,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But after some shuffling at the position, Horn finally got his opportunity and immediately impacted the offense with the threat of his speed.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Take a look at some recent shelter stories — ranging from bittersweet to daring — from across the country .—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The helicopter was piloted by Eric Nixon, who is described as an aviation influencer known for doing daring maneuvers.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Footage of a father stumbling around, apparently carrying the headless body of his baby?—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Remaining unclaimed playoff spots The final two playoff spots in the Western Conference are up for grabs, with FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake, the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes all stumbling towards the finish line.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The early months of a season can be challenging for managers due to the seemingly endless international breaks, but the stop-start nature of the fixture list can have its advantages.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Returning from combat is challenging.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Barner holds his arms parallel to the ground and swings them side to side while slowly stomping forward like Godzilla demolishing a city.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumping. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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