1
as in shuffles
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 dares
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 stumps
Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026
Ancient artifacts found beneath Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as one mystery still stumps researchers.
—FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
David Hogg stumps for Mai Vang in 7th District primary.
—Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
In 1938, Pennington pitched a tent outside the hiring hall for workers building the Shasta Dam, set up some tree stumps for seats and started hawking grub.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Also, check rocks, stumps or logs before sitting down.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
This is because tendons that normally curl the toes downward (such as when cats knead your lap) pull on the amputation stumps so that the stumps rub on the ground, and no mechanism remains to oppose that action.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
For more than two months, a helicopter has been hard at work removing dead trees and stumps from the reservoir using a special device.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
During the day, the birds lie motionless on the ground, blending into piles of leaves and tree stumps to hide from predators.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Or arrange a bunch of tree stumps around a fire pit to create seating that the kids will love.
—Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026
Ancient artifacts found beneath Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as one mystery still stumps researchers.
—FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
David Hogg stumps for Mai Vang in 7th District primary.
—Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
In 1938, Pennington pitched a tent outside the hiring hall for workers building the Shasta Dam, set up some tree stumps for seats and started hawking grub.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Also, check rocks, stumps or logs before sitting down.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
This is because tendons that normally curl the toes downward (such as when cats knead your lap) pull on the amputation stumps so that the stumps rub on the ground, and no mechanism remains to oppose that action.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
For more than two months, a helicopter has been hard at work removing dead trees and stumps from the reservoir using a special device.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
During the day, the birds lie motionless on the ground, blending into piles of leaves and tree stumps to hide from predators.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
Verb
-
At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her healing skills soon prove invaluable, but her wild, curious nature unsettles the monks as an evil count threatens to destroy anyone who dares protect her.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
Only a steroid-addled rival, Pavel, dares to question Jim’s position.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Using water samples from the Great Salt Lake, the team successfully extracted about 50% of the available lithium from the post-desalination residues.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
-
Wash them regularly to remove residues that attract wasps, says Raupp.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
Verb
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In the closing moments, Godzilla stomps his way to the Statue of Liberty, setting his sights on New York City.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Ellie stomps back to the crew mess to whine about it to Jenna and Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This challenges our traditional view of the CEO’s role, turning it into the single, central point of integration — an approach only viable in a small handful of the most powerful tech companies.—
Adrienne Down Coulson,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Our mission is to create bold, cinematic film and television that challenges perception, sparks conversation, and leaves a lasting emotional imprint.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Roher and co-writer Robert Ramsay craft a classically structured screenplay about a talented piano tuner who stumbles into a life of crime, upon which Roher, editor Greg O’Bryant, and composer Will Bates embroider jazzy rhythms and inflections, inspired by the musical world our characters inhabit.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
18 Feb. 2026
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However, sometimes the abnormal IgA (the antibody that clumps up and causes problems) does run in families.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In a follow-up exam conducted six years after the infection, vestiges of the virus’s RNA were found in the man’s semen.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
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Continue your exploration of ancient Mexican vestiges by visiting Tulum.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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