stumps 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of stump
1
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

stumps

2 of 2

noun

plural of stump

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 stumps
Verb
Tree stumps can also be carved into garden art or used as a pedestal for a large container or statue. — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026 Ann Braunstein lives off of Hutchison Road where branches and stumps line her street as well. — Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Learn more about why some stumps regrow and how to stop them. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026 Turkey tail grows on dead logs and tree stumps in overlapping layers that resemble a wild bird’s plumage. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stumps
Verb
  • My brother looks at the floor, mumbles something, and then shuffles away from the table.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The line shuffles forward quickly, and my heart knots in my chest as Heartfillers are dosed to each person up ahead.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Even an ordinary staircase practically dares you to stare at it long enough to convince yourself something moved.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • First, the continuous scouring action of the water jet removes slag and oxidized sputtering residues, producing a clean processing interface with smooth inner walls and vertical groove profiles.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Hornets are attracted to sugary and protein food scraps, rotting foods, and sticky residues.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Godzilla Minus Zero stomps into theaters in Japan on November 3 and in North America on November 6.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Joined by his crew, Shakur stomps him out before the stunned gamblers and boxing fans.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Another perspective challenges the article’s implication that Latino men should vote as a unified anti-Trump bloc.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Fight over her heart condition The government also directly challenges Flores’ medical justification for release.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The only vestiges of social order are a vigilante police force and the power company.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Venetians came and colonized 500 years ago, and many vestiges of our Venetian past are still visible, not just in the architecture and in our food.
    — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But here, too, Wladyka stumbles, opting for a comforting but pat ending about how dance and art enliven so many lives.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Early in the book, there’s a disturbing scene in which Cathy’s mother stumbles upon a half naked 10-year-old Cathy lying on the floor beneath two teenage boys.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And indeed, experiencing its remnants in 3D is another thing altogether.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Her fiction is cluttered with bric-a-brac, bits and bobs, stuffed into boxes and drawers and cupboards—remnants of someone’s past.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stumps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stumps. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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